Adam's Surprise Visitor
by Peejy
Summary: This is a sequel to "Adam's Journey of Memories." Sam returns to surprise Adam and finds that he has a surprise for her.
1. Chapter 1

**ADAM'S SURPRISE VISITOR**

Unbraiding her hair, Dr. Samantha Nielsen stomped across the floor of the hotel room and scolded herself. _Twit! Idiot!_ _Cretin! Fool!_ What had she expected? Did she really think, after six months, that Adam would put his life on hold until she made up her mind about Dr. Robert Sternberg? Sure, she had written Adam on many occasions to ask how he was, what things he had remembered, how his family was doing. And he had answered her letters. He never mentioned the book by Kipling – "Gunga Din" – or the bar of lavender soap, but she knew that Hop Sing had left them both on his bed as she had requested. Hop Sing was completely dependable.

Sitting down and brushing her long brunette hair in front of the mirror, she looked at her reflection and stuck out her tongue at the woman she saw. Silently, she thought about the situation. _I'm crazy. I left Adam to see if my relationship with Robert would work out. True, Robert is a wonderful man and I will always love him, in my own way. But I knew within weeks of returning to San Francisco that things between us could just never be more than what they were – a wonderful professional relationship and an incredible friendship. There was no fire with Robert, no passion. Yet I stayed and stayed, dragging my feet about whether or not to come back to Virginia City. I waited too long. And, to make matters worse, I just planted myself on the front porch of the Ponderosa without any warning that I was coming. I swore Doc Martin to secrecy about my arrival. I'm just damn lucky that anybody was at home to begin with! Ah, but surprises have a way of backfiring, don't they? After the way I left him, did I expect Adam to welcome me with open arms?_

Removing her robe, Sam climbed tiredly into bed. It had been a long day but she couldn't sleep. She kept re-playing the evening's events in her head.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam had arrived via stage after twilight had fallen. She had gotten a hotel room, changed into her riding clothes, rented a horse at the livery stable and had galloped out of town toward the Ponderosa. It never entered her mind that the house might be empty; she didn't care whether or not she interrupted the evening meal. She just didn't think things through in her excitement.

She walked her horse as quietly as she could to the hitching post. She saw a buggy there but thought nothing of it. Rapping on the door, she stood in nervous anticipation.

Hop Sing answered the door, and his face broke into a wide smile. Sam put her fingers to her lips to indicate to him that he should be quiet. The two spoke in whispers in Chinese. Hop Sing cackled.

"Who is it, Hop Sing?" Ben called.

"Visitor at door. Would like to speak with you," Hop Sing replied, still cackling.

Ben rose from the table, walked to the front door and, when he saw who the visitor was, his face lit up. A broad grin and a hearty "Hello, stranger!" were the most welcoming signs that Sam could've hoped for. She hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"Come in! Come in and have supper with us!" Ben said, taking her by the elbow.

As the pair rounded the corner into the dining room, Sam saw Hoss and Joe first. Rising quickly, they gave and received welcoming hugs. Sam was elated, her green eyes sparkling. Her reception was more than she had hoped for.

Then, there was Adam. He rose to his feet, smiled, and extended his hand. "It's good to see you again. It's been a long time."

And sitting next to Adam was a woman. Sam's heart missed a beat as she considered the possibility that she might be looking at Adam's wife. There was nothing she could do but smile.

Adam, very formally, made the introductions. "Dr. Samantha Nielsen, I'd like you to meet Miss Gretchen Werner. Gretchen, this is Dr. Samantha Nielsen – the doctor who helped me regain my memory after the accident."

Gretchen was beautifully dressed – not too revealing but showing just enough of her body to make men look at her more than several times. Her hair was the color of spun gold and was piled on top of her head in beautiful curls; her eyes were blue, and her skin was the unflawed texture of fine porcelain. Sam thought momentarily of her own freckled pug nose, her naturally curly hair, and the fact that she was wearing her riding clothes. _This is not the surprise I had envisioned._

But Sam had excellent social graces and extended her hand to the woman. When Gretchen rose to reach for Sam's hand, Sam realized how petite the woman was. Adam had a curious look on his face. Hoss and Joe seemed to find no discomfort in this scenario. Ben continued beaming – he was genuinely happy to see the woman who had helped his son through a journey of memories.

Hop Sing had set a place for Sam at the table and Ben began pulling a chair out for her to sit in. "Sit down and eat while it's hot," Ben boomed happily. Though he did give a sideways glance at Adam.

"I'm sorry. I can't stay," Sam said, trying to give her best smile. "I just thought I would ride out and say hello."

"Nonsense!" boomed Ben. "You're here just at the right time. Now sit down and eat!"

Sam knew Ben well enough to not refuse this invitation. Besides, she was curious about this Gretchen-creature. So she sat down as Ben sliced the leg of lamb for her.

"I think we've come full-circle," Sam commented as she looked at the lamb. "This is what Hop Sing served the first night I was here."

Joe passed platters of vegetables. "Hey, that's right! Adam remembered liking lamb. It was his first memory."

"Second," Adam said, avoiding Sam's eyes. "The first was a name from a book, I believe. 'Gunga Din'."

Sam half-choked on her first sip of wine, then recovered. "I seem to recall that to be quite true, Adam."

Hoss, who felt no tension in the air, began to ask questions. "What brings you here, Sam? Are you just passing through or what?"

Sam paused. She might as well tell the truth. "Well, I've been writing to Doc Martin and he suggested that having a lady doctor in town might be worth trying. Though internal medicine isn't my specialty, I took a whole bunch of remedial classes in San Francisco to jog my memory. I'll watch and work with Doc Martin for a while to see if this is what I want to do."

"How odd," interjected Adam, "that Doc Martin failed to mention this to any of us. He's had plenty of time to broach the subject in the last six months." There was an edge of sarcasm to his voice.

 _Doc Martin didn't mention to_ _ **me**_ _that you had a girlfriend,_ Sam thought.

Gretchen spoke with a soft drawl. "I think it's a wonderful idea to have another doctor in town. How did you come to pick Virginia City? Do you have family here? Or other interests, perhaps?"

Sam looked into Gretchen's blue eyes and didn't like what she saw there. The woman was being nosy, bordering on catty, and Sam took an instant dislike to this woman who had laid her hand possessively across Adam's arm.

Looking at Gretchen intently, Sam answered flatly. "My family is dead. I have no ties in San Francisco, and I learned to love this part of the country. Doc Martin's idea of having another doctor here seemed like the perfect plan. We'll see how it works out. While I'm working with Doc Martin, I'll be staying at the hotel and, if things go well, I'll buy a place of my own and open my own practice."

Gretchen batted her eyelashes. "I know we all have you to thank for being such a help to Adam. Isn't that right, dear?" And she flashed a smile up into Adam's face.

Ben flinched. Hoss stole a sideways glance at Little Joe.

Sam's eyebrow shot up to her hairline. "Adam remembered on his own. I just helped lead him a bit to help his mind relax and be open." What Sam _wanted_ to do was to fly across the table and slap the smirk off Gretchen's face.

"Well, all that's behind us now," Ben said. And skillfully, he changed the subject.

When the meal was finished, Ben offered Sam a brandy which was politely refused. "I have a lot of unpacking to do," Sam said. What she didn't say was that she wanted to get the hell out of the house. Quick! "Tomorrow, I'll spend the day with Doc Martin and get to know some of his patients. Most folks are used to a male physician, so he can let me assist him and let people decide whether a female doctor is worth having around."

As she reached the door, Sam turned. "It was wonderful to see all of you again. I hope to see a lot more of you. Just not as a _patient_!" She smiled.

"And, of course, Adam and I would like to see more of you," Gretchen said evenly.

 _I bet you would,_ Sam thought. Women have a gut feeling when a man is involved.

"Good night, and thank you for the lovely meal," Sam called as she swung into the saddle.

Adam had the strangest look on his face while the other Cartwrights waved. Even Hop Sing (who secretly hated Gretchen) called out a "Good night!"

Sam rode away, unhappy and disconcerted. She wondered if Adam had plans to marry Gretchen. Sam was very afraid that she had waited too late in returning…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam appeared at Doc Martin's office bright and early – she wanted to have a talk with him in private – but she would have to wait. Three patients had arrived ahead of her, and the doctor was busy. He had to check on the progress of young Johnnie Pearson's broken leg; old Mrs. Jackson had a sore throat and a nasty-sounding cough; and then there was Jed Tyson with a boil on his backside that needed to be lanced.

To Doc Martin's joy, Sam stepped right in and helped wherever and whenever she could. Her demeanor was calm and self-assured, and the patients responded to her positively. Word would spread about this new lady doctor – Doc Martin was sure of this.

Even Jed Tyson, who had balked at first about a woman looking at his backside, responded to Sam's gentle ways and finally relented and allowed her to assist Doc Martin. Very few folks got along with Jed, but Sam's demeanor won him over. She was so sympathetic to his condition, praised him for being so brave when the boil was lanced, and told him what an excellent patient he was. She was sincere, and Jed could tell insincerity when he saw it. This Dr. Nielsen was special.

As soon as Jed had left the office (walking quite gingerly), Sam grabbed a trash can and promptly threw up. Now Doc Martin was sympathetic. "Boils are very common out here. I never get used to the smell, but I've learned how to control my stomach. It helps if you breathe through your mouth."

Embarrassed, Sam nodded. After she had popped a peppermint in her mouth – a candy that was good for settling stomachs – she turned to look at Doc Martin. With hands on her hips, she spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me that Adam had a girlfriend?" Though well-controlled, her voice still had a touch of anger.

Doc Martin was surprised. "My letters to you were strictly professional. I didn't know that you would be interested."

"Well, I _am_! I made a fool out of myself by arriving at the Ponderosa last night and finding Gretchen Werner quite attached to Adam Cartwright!"

Chuckling, Doc Martin looked into Sam's green eyes. "I had no idea that you were interested in Adam. I would have warned you had I known. You told me only that you and Dr. Sternberg were involved once but that things didn't work out. I guess my crystal ball doesn't work well."

Sam mulled this over in her mind. What the doctor had said was true. He didn't know about Sam's feelings for Adam. How could he? None of the Cartwrights would ever had said a word to anybody.

Her anger dissipating, Sam sighed. "I'm sorry, Doc. Of course you didn't know. I was just terribly embarrassed last night and wanted to blame somebody for my own mistake."

And the two had a private discussion about Adam. And how Sam felt about the man. And why she had jumped at the chance to come work in Virginia City. And Doc Martin told Sam all about the Werner family. They were from Germany, had lived just outside of town for several years and had their own farm – growing a huge array of vegetables (summer and winter), hay and alfalfa. Friedhelm and Ilsa had donated as much hay as they were able when the winters were intense and when neighboring ranchers had cattle that were starving, unable to find food in the deep snows that fell. In return, the cattle ranchers always saw to it that the Werner family had plenty of beef to eat. The Werners were neither rich nor poor, and they were well-liked.

Gretchen was the only child, and Friedhelm and Ilsa doted on her. Subsequently, the girl grew up a little on the spoiled side and could be snobby when she wanted to be. But, for the most part, she had many friends in and around Virginia City. Some women had the tendency to be slightly jealous of her because of her flawless appearance; men were attracted to her beauty and to the soft drawl she had acquired from a Texas tutor who had home-schooled her. She subsequently didn't have the German accent of her parents.

But Sam still didn't like her. Oh, she would be nice to her if they happened to meet, but she just couldn't pretend to like the woman – not because Adam was squiring her around but because there was something not quite right about what was behind those blue eyes. This tidbit of information, Sam kept to herself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

With no new patients arriving at Doc Martin's, Sam had borrowed one of Doc's medical books and had taken it with her to lunch. So engrossed was she in her reading, she failed to realize that she was being spoken to.

"Sam?" said Ben, laying a hand gently on her shoulder.

Startled, Sam jumped. Then, recognizing Ben, she had to laugh at herself.

"Ben, how nice to see you! And it's my turn to ask you to sit down and have something to eat!"

Ben gave her shoulder a squeeze and sat down. He smiled at her – she almost always made him smile. "I was at the bank and thought I saw you come in here," he said as he looked at the menu. "I wanted to tell you how wonderful it was to see you last night."

Sam closed the medical book. "I wanted to surprise you. I think _I_ was the one who was surprised. I shouldn't have gone out to the Ponderosa unexpectedly, but I was excited…"

"Sam," Ben interrupted. "I want you to know that you are always welcome at the Ponderosa. We all care a great deal about you."

Sam chewed the inside of her cheek. "I think I made Adam uncomfortable. I'm sorry. But I didn't know about Gretchen. Doc Martin hadn't filled me in on that bit of news. Nobody had."

Ben was quiet for a moment. Then he chose his words carefully. "Adam cared a great deal for you. When you left, he had a very difficult time. When Gretchen approached him and showed an…interest …in him, his ego took an upward swing. It was what he needed at the time."

Sam got right to the point. "Is he in love with her?"

As always, Ben was impressed with Sam's forthright manner. But he was reticent to talk about his son's personal life. Yet he knew this was important to Sam. "He may think he is. But you know how private Adam can be, so I really can't say exactly what he feels."

Sam sighed. "I really made a mess of things, didn't I?"

"Remember the night we talked?" Ben asked. "You told me about your young man back in San Francisco. I suggested that you do what was right for you at the time, and you did just that. I assume, since you're here in Virginia City, that you did what you needed to do."

"Things with Robert just didn't work out," Sam answered slowly. "We came to a mutual understanding, and it was the right one for both of us. And, because of Doc Martin's kindness, here I am." Then another forthright question. "What do you think of Gretchen?"

Ben had ordered only a cup of coffee and he sipped it while he was thinking. "She's an attractive woman but I don't think that she's Adam's intellectual equal. On the other hand, I've heard many times that opposites attract. I can't tell you any more."

Nodding her head and smiling, Sam touched Ben's arm. "I've never heard you say anything unkind about anybody. And you've never been one to talk out of turn. If I put you in a bad position, I apologize."

"No apology necessary," Ben answered, finishing his cup of coffee in a hurry. He rose to leave. "I've got more business to attend to. I just wanted to wish you well in your work with Doc Martin. And I hope that you decide to stay. This town needs another doctor. And we can always use an extra friend."

"Thank you, Ben."

With a smile, Ben paid for his coffee and Sam's meal. Sam was deeply touched by this most honest man and what he had said. Surprisingly, Ben returned to the table to say one last thing. "If I were you, I wouldn't give up." He gave Sam a conspiratorial wink.

Sam, taken off guard, answered. "I won't. Count on it."

With that, Ben was gone, leaving Sam with her medical book – which she couldn't concentrate on – and a heart that had wings of hope.


	2. Chapter 2

After lunch, Sam wandered aimlessly down the street taking time to window-shop. Her eyes fell on Adam leaning against a building, his hat shading his face, chewing on a toothpick. She remembered the day he had plucked a blade of grass and put the stem between his teeth – what a wonderful day that was! Gathering her courage, she walked up to him.

"Hello, Adam!" she said brightly.

Tipping back his hat, he looked into the familiar green eyes. He smiled. "Hello, yourself. Doc Martin's office is in the other direction. What brings you this way?"

Sam had to think fast. Way beyond where Adam was standing was the livery stable. "I want to buy a horse. While I was away, I practiced riding and my skills have improved. _Liar_. Can you advise me on where I can find a good horse for a reasonable amount of money?"

Shifting his toothpick casually to the other side of his mouth, Adam answered. "I hear that some decent horses were just sold to the livery stable. You might take a look there."

"Uh, Adam?" Sam asked, lying through her teeth. "How would I know if a horse is good or not?"

"I can help you with that, if you can wait a minute or two. Jess would sell you a horse with two legs if he thought he could get away with it." Adam gave her that lop-sided grin that she loved.

"I can wait," Sam answered quickly without asking why.

All of a sudden, there was tension between the two. Adam asked about the medical book that was in Sam's hand. She answered and then there was silence. Sam asked how Old Betsy was doing. Adam answered and there was another silence. Neither of them knew quite how to carry on a conversation.

With a loud "Adam, dear, will you help me with these boxes?" the door behind Adam had opened. And there was Gretchen. Sam looked at the name over the door and realized that it said "Women's Wear," and that Adam had been waiting for Gretchen.

"Hello, Dr. Nielsen," Gretchen said politely as she handed the boxes to Adam.

"Hello, Miss Werner," Sam answered with an equal politeness.

"My, what a wonderful day for shopping. I found some beautiful things in this store. You should go in there and look around."

 _Is she insinuating that there's something improper about my clothes?_ was what Sam was wondering. _Or is she carrying on a conversation?_

Instead of saying what she was wondering, Sam smiled brightly. "I'm not looking for clothes right now. I'm looking for a horse to buy. Adam was kind enough to offer to help me."

For a fleeting moment, Gretchen looked like she had bitten into a lemon. But she recovered quickly. "How nice of Adam. But I don't think we have time right now…"

"Sure we do," interjected Adam. He seemed quite amused. "The livery stable is just down the street. Let's go."

Gretchen opened her mouth to protest and then shut it quickly. The three of them took up the whole boardwalk – Adam carrying boxes, Gretchen clinging to his arm, and Sam refusing to walk behind the two.

Arriving at the corral beyond the livery stable, Adam looked at the six horses enclosed behind the wooden fence. He put Gretchen's packages on a nearby tree stump.

Gretchen complained bitterly – about the smell, the dust, the dirt, the flies. Sam wasn't bothered by any of those things and neither was Adam. Gretchen whined about getting her shoes dirty until a look from Adam shut her up. Sam stifled a chuckle.

Out came Jess, a man who had been around horses all his life and knew his business. Adam introduced Sam to Jess and told him that "Dr. Nielsen" wanted to buy a horse. Jess looked at Sam, sizing her up and wondering what he could get away with. Adam knew good horseflesh. He tried pointing out two horses, but Adam shook his head.

"Jess, that buckskin has a bad hoof. You need to tend to that. And that roan over there wouldn't last two minutes at a gallop. He has no chest, no room to breathe."

Adam continued looking. In the far corner was a palomino mare. "Let's look at that one." Adam, of course, had picked out the best horse in the corral. And Jess knew it. Throwing a halter around her neck, Jess led the palomino over to Sam.

"She looks perfect," Sam said, stroking the mare's nose. "But I need to ride her to see how she acts and reacts."

Gretchen gaped at Sam. "But you're wearing a dress!"

Sam shrugged as Jess put the bit in the horse's mouth and made adjustments so the mare's ears fit correctly. He turned to reach for a saddle.

"Don't bother," said Sam as she climbed through the fence, forcing her medical book into Gretchen's hands. "I'd rather ride bareback. Jess, give me a leg up, please. And open the gate."

Jess's gawk was the mirror-image of Gretchen's. Adam grinned as there was a flash of Sam's petticoats and then bare legs dangling down the palomino's sides. And then Sam was trotting down the street and, when she reached the outskirts of town, she gave a loud whoop and urged the mare into a canter and then a gallop. She was still galloping when she returned minutes later.

"She's perfect!" Sam exclaimed as she sat on the palomino's back.

Gretchen just couldn't keep her mouth shut. "Dr. Nielsen, ladies don't ride astride a horse! They do not ride bareback – it's indecent. They ride side-saddle and with decorum. They certainly don't whoop like a wild Indian!"

Adam looked down at Gretchen, a frown appearing between his eyebrows. " _This_ lady does!"

Dropping the medical book on the ground, Gretchen snatched her packages from the tree stump and stomped off, dust billowing from her long skirt. Adam watched her walk away and then turned his attention to Sam as she slid off the horse's back. _I still care for her. A_ _ **lot**_ _._

The only thing left for Adam and Sam to do was to haggle over the selling price. Jess ended up accepting less money than he had hoped for but felt a great respect for the new buyer. He whispered to Adam, as Sam pulled money out of her purse, "This one's a keeper."

Sam made arrangements to have her new horse, who she named "Fancy," stabled with Jess temporarily. Jess was glad to charge her extra for this service. Jess was happy; Sam was ecstatic, and Adam was both happy and confused. He didn't want to like Sam, but he did anyway.

Turning to walk up the street, Adam saw that Gretchen had managed to drop her packages. It was Sam who said, "She needs help, Adam. I hope I didn't keep you too long, and I'm sorry if I caused trouble." Sam was _not_ sorry, but it sounded like the thing to say. "Thank you for all your help."

Adam, momentarily, got lost in Sam's green eyes. Touching the brim of his hat, he walked toward Gretchen and helped her pick up the packages she had dropped. Adam didn't see the glare that she flashed at Sam seconds before she grabbed Adam's arm and flounced away.

Sam grinned. The war was on.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Being in Virginia City, knowing that she might run into Adam, was difficult for Sam. Gossip had it that the eldest Cartwright son and the beautiful Gretchen Werner would surely be tying the knot soon. Sam tried to ignore what she heard but, as the old saying went, "Where there's smoke, there's fire."

And here, on Doc Martin's table, was an obese spinster lady known as the biggest town gossip of them all – Miss Drucilla Campbell. Sam sighed as she listened to the long litany of complaints – sore back, swollen legs and feet, stomach upset. The list went on and on. And Doc Martin had left Sam alone with this lady; Sam suspected that he did it on purpose because the list probably never changed.

Sam looked at the obese woman and tried to be sympathetic as she examined the woman's back and found herself only half-listening. In the medical profession, not listening to a patient's complaints could cause the physician to overlook something important, and Sam knew this. But Miss Drucilla's problems were undoubtedly due to her constant overeating, so she heard only "…Adam Cartwright is a fool."

Sam's senses perked up immediately. She should have been paying more attention.

"I'm sorry, Miss Drucilla, but I was concentrating on your spine ( _what a lie_ ) and your voice was muffled.

"That's quite all right, dear," Miss Drucilla responded as she struggled to turn herself over onto her back. "What I was saying is that Adam Cartwright is a fool if he can't see that Gretchen Werner is after his name and the family money."

Concentrating on Miss Drucilla's fat leg, Sam decided that this woman might be a good source of information. So she responded in a conversational way, taking a lot of time with her examination. "Do you really think that's true, Miss Drucilla? I haven't had much time to get to know anybody here, but I would hate to think that Adam Cartwright would let a woman pull the wool over his eyes. I worked with him, you know, and he's quite intelligent."

There was a knock on the outer door and, covering Miss Drucilla with a sheet, Sam closed the exam room door, went to the outer door and opened it. There was a skinny lady, wringing her hands, standing on the other side. "I've been so worried about my dear friend," the skinny lady said, her hands fluttering like birds' wings. "I've just got to know if she's all right."

Sam introduced herself and learned the name of this rather odd-looking woman with eyes that seemed to pop out unnaturally.

"Oh, you're the lady doctor working with Doctor Martin," said the lady, pushing her way into the room. "I'm so glad we finally have a woman doctor in town." Very conspiratorially she added, "There are just some things that a man doesn't need to know, much less examine!"

From out of the closed exam room, Drucilla screeched, "Thelma, is that you? Ask Doctor Sam if you can come in. We need to chat!"

"Thelma" turned out to be "Thelma Mott," another spinster lady whose gossiping was overshadowed only by Drucilla's.

"Can I go in and see Drucilla?" Thelma asked.

"As long as Miss Drucilla says it's okay with her, then it's fine with me," Sam said, almost too eagerly.

While Sam examined Drucilla's other leg, Thelma began to stop wringing her hands. But Sam's mind was on the conversation about Adam.

"Now, let's see. Where were we?" Sam asked, pretending that she'd forgotten.

But Drucilla, when it came to gossip, never forgot what she was saying. "We were discussing Adam Cartwright and that gold-digger Gretchen Werner."

Sam smiled. This examination was going to take much longer than necessary.

"Oh, that Gretchen," said Thelma. "She's from such a nice family. I just don't know if she has a brain in her head."

Sam looked up at Thelma and asked innocently, "Is she retarded? Does she have mental problems?"

Leaning forward in her chair, Thelma said loudly, "Oh, my dear! The only mental problem she has is getting her hooks into a rich man!"

Using her innocent look again, Sam tried her best to look surprised. "Surely, Adam enjoys her company or he wouldn't be going out with her."

Drucilla shook her head sadly. "After Adam got his memory back – thanks to you, Doctor Sam – Gretchen just pounced on him. I don't think the poor man knew what hit him!"

"Like a cat on a mouse," added Thelma, nodding her head in agreement.

Drucilla made a noise that sounded like a cross between a cough and a growl. "Why, Gretchen has been…friendly …with several men in town. But her relationships never lasted for long. I guess the men didn't have enough money."

Thelma dabbed with her hankie at one of her pop eyes. "That poor Adam. Men see only what they want to see. He'll end up marrying that woman and will be miserable the rest of his life."

 _Not if_ _ **I**_ _can help it_ , Sam thought to herself.

While Miss Drucilla was getting dressed, Sam and Miss Thelma sat in the outer office. "Is Drucilla going to die?" Miss Thelma asked morosely.

Smothering a laugh, Sam reassured the lady that her friend would _not_ die. "But I'm going to give her some pills that will help her feel better." Going to a special medicine cabinet, Sam took down a bottle of pills and then closed the cabinet.

When Miss Drucilla emerged from the examination room, she sat down heavily in a chair which creaked and groaned. Sam feared that the chair might break. It didn't, thankfully.

"Now, Miss Drucilla. I want you and Miss Thelma to listen very carefully to me. These pills that I'm giving you are very strong. You must take them three times a day without fail. The only thing you must be aware of is that they react horribly with some foods. You will become very ill if you eat a cake or a pie or a donut or potatoes or corn."

Drucilla sighed. "But I _love_ those things."

"Well, you can choose between your pain or you can take the pills and avoid those things that have a bad reaction with certain foods." Sam tried desperately to sound professional but kind.

"Can she eat fruits and vegetables and meat?" Thelma asked.

"Oh, yes!" Sam answered with enthusiasm. "She can have as many fruits and vegetables as she wants. And good, lean cuts of meat too."

The door opened and in came Doc Martin, surprised to see both Drucilla and Thelma still in his office. He thought he had given Sam enough time to complete her examination.

"Oh, Doc Martin!" gushed Drucilla. "Dr. Sam is just the finest doctor! She's given me these wonderful pills to take to ease my pain!"

Before either Drucilla or Thelma could say anything more, Sam accepted payment from Drucilla and then ushered both women out the door with a final warning to Drucilla: "Take those pills three times a day, and remember what I told you about the bad reaction to certain foods."

"I will! I will!" called back Drucilla. And then the two ladies were gone.

Doc Martin looked at Sam sternly. "You know there's nothing wrong with Drucilla except for the fact that she's severely overweight. What kind of pills did you give her?"

Chuckling, Sam pointed to the bottle of pills in the special cabinet. "She thinks that she has to stop eating sugar and carbohydrates or she'll be ill. My guess is that she'll lose a lot of weight and will feel better sooner than we know."

The pills, of course, were sugar pills. Good for absolutely nothing.

Doc Martin shook his head. "Do you think they'll work?"

"The mind is very powerful. If she believes they'll work, they will."

Doc Martin looked at his pocket watch. "That examination took a very long time. Much longer than necessary. Is there a reason for that?"

"Well, I've learned that Miss Drucilla and Miss Thelma love to talk. I didn't want to appear rude when I'm seeing a patient for the first time."

Doc Martin looked at Sam's expression and the slightest upturning of her lips. He said nothing.

And Sam was armed with quite a bit more knowledge than she had expected. Very _useful_ knowledge.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam's life fell into a comfortable ritual – mornings were devoted to grooming and riding Fancy, followed by breakfast at the small café. Then she would change clothes and go to Doc Martin's office, often to work with patients, often to read more medical books. Then she would have a quick lunch after which she would go back to work. Then there would be supper (sometimes alone, sometimes with new friends – her personality won a place in many hearts), an evening ride aboard her favorite horse, and then back to her hotel room. Though her days were busy, the nights were long, and Sam was lonely. Reading medical books filled her head with knowledge but her heart was empty. Often her thoughts would turn to Adam and Gretchen, and Sam wondered if Adam was kissing Gretchen the same way he had kissed her. At those times, Sam would talk to herself. _Instead of sitting around waiting for Adam to come to his senses about Gretchen, then I need to do something. Maybe Adam doesn't want me but he deserves so much better than a gold-digger who only wants his name and his money. But what can I do?_ Sighing, she punched her pillow and went to sleep.

The answer to her prayers came in the form of literally bumping into Little Joe the very next morning. The youngest Cartwright had ridden into town with Hop Sing to pick up supplies, and Sam (deep in thought and not watching where she was going) almost knocked Little Joe over as he was exiting the general store.

" _Joe_!" Sam exclaimed. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention!"

Joe flashed his boyish grin. " _Sam_! I haven't seen you in two weeks!" Little Joe was never backward coming forward and immediately gave Sam a big hug. "I needed to talk to you anyway."

Immediate concern shadowed Sam's face. "Is everything all right at the Ponderosa? Nobody's hurt or sick?"

Little Joe laughed. "Nah. Nothing like that. Pa wanted me to invite you to come to the Ponderosa for supper tonight. We haven't had the pleasure of your company in quite a while. I know it's short notice, but…"

Clapping her hands with delight, Sam answered before Joe could finish his sentence. "I'd love to come to supper tonight! I can ride Fancy out there – what a treat!"

Hop Sing appeared and his face lit up. "Missie Doctor Sam! What nice surprise!"

And while Little Joe was picking up the dropped boxes of supplies and loading the wagon, Sam and Hop Sing carried on a conversation in Chinese. At one point, Hop Sing made a disgusted face and shook his head. Sam smiled and kissed the man on the cheek, something that just was not done between a white woman and an Oriental man. Not in public, anyway. But Sam didn't care what people thought, and Hop Sing was so surprised that all he could do was cackle and then scurry away excitedly.

Little Joe had watched this scenario play out. He had long since learned that 'propriety" was in the eye of the beholder and he was delighted to see that Sam genuinely cared for the cook. But he didn't understand Chinese at all. And probably never would. Sometimes it was better not knowing what Hop Sing was muttering about…

"Would you mind if I asked what all that was about?" Joe asked. He was curious.

Sam considered lying and then dispensed with the idea. "I told Hop Sing that I was invited to supper tonight and that I would be there. I also asked him if Gretchen would be there. He said that she most certainly would _not_ be there." Pausing, Sam looked into Joe's eyes and saw that he understood. She continued, "I don't want there to be any…um…surprises …tonight."

Laughing, Joe answered. "No surprises. Just family. Very informal." With that, he hopped up into the wagon and made room for Hop Sing. "We'll see you tonight, then? Around early evening?"

Sam waved. "Fancy and I will be there!"

What Sam didn't know was that Gretchen was across the street, and this woman could hear a bat sneeze forty miles away. She had heard every word of the conversation. And Gretchen was _not_ happy at this turn of events. She knew that Adam had been in Carson City and would be returning home in the early evening. She also knew that she and Adam had no plans until later in the week. The timing of this "supper" was just right for "Dr. Nielsen" to arrive for a family get-together. With _her_ Adam. She plotted a strategy of her own.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Throughout the day, Sam was noticeably distracted while she sat in Doc Martin's office. Finally, Doc, realizing that Sam's focus wasn't where it should be, chastised Sam.

"You show excellent progress in your knowledge of medical things. You work exceedingly well with every single person who comes through this door. Surprisingly, not only are women comfortable with you, but men are too. But you must remember that you are a doctor and that you can't afford to let your mind wander. It could make the difference in a patient's living or dying." l

Looking very contrite, Sam answered. "You're right. My personal life should never interfere with my professional life. I won't allow my concentration to lose focus from now on."

Gently, Doc Martin spoke. "Would you like to talk about what's bothering you?"

Sam had to laugh at the irony. "I'm a trained psychiatrist and you're a general practitioner. I think our positions just switched."

Doc Martin smiled and leaned back in his chair. He remained silent.

"I've been invited out to the Ponderosa for supper. And Gretchen won't be there. I'm excited and edgy and a little bit afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Of how Adam will react. Of how I'll react to Adam in a setting that's so familiar. I want things to be like they were before I left but I know that's not possible."

Doc Martin smiled. "Anything's possible," he said. "But Adam is hard-headed and stubborn. From what you've told me, you hurt him badly. His feelings may have changed toward you although your feelings haven't changed toward him. You need to be aware of that possibility and then learn to deal with it."

Sam looked sad. "I know."

Pushing back his chair, Doc Martin rose and took Sam's hands in his. "Things are quiet here now. I handled this office for years before you arrived, and I can handle things again. Why don't you go take a nice hot bath, relax, and then go have a pleasant meal with your friends? I know where to find you if I need you."

"Thank you," Sam said simply. Then she added, with a wink, "Maybe you ought to specialize in psychiatry!" She could still hear the doctor's laughter as she closed the office door.

Her next stop was the livery stable where she found Jess repairing a bridle. He looked up and smiled when she entered the double doorway. He liked this woman, mostly because she had the love of horses that he did. But he liked her spirit, too.

"Jess, I'd like to ask a favor," Sam stated. "I'm going to the Ponderosa for supper and I need Fancy to be saddled and ready to go in about two hours. Could you tend to that for me?"

Jess rolled his chewing tobacco to the other side of his mouth and then spat expertly into a fancy spittoon he had acquired at some point.

"Sure, I can do that for you," he said amiably. "She'll be ready when you are."

"Thank you so much, Jess. You are so kind to do this for me."

"Glad to be of help," Jess answered, spitting again.

Sam waved as she left and headed swiftly to the hotel for a bath. To be on the safe side, just so she didn't smell like medicine and alcohol, she scrubbed twice as long as usual. Then she picked out a split skirt, a fitted shirt, and her favorite boots – which she hadn't worn since she'd arrived in Virginia City. She'd been saving them for special occasions. And tonight definitely fell into a "special occasion." She had been assured that there would be no surprises – but she hadn't counted on Gretchen's plans.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam felt the gentle breeze against her face, felt it blowing through her hair, and enjoyed rocking with the gentle motion of Fancy's slow canter on the trail to the Ponderosa. The scent of the Ponderosa pines reminded Sam of the days when she and Adam had gone riding – of the days when Adam discovered trails that he had temporarily forgotten and how happy he was when his memory came back bit by bit after exploring each trail. Oh, to have those days back again!

Sam arrived at the house sooner than she had expected and found Hoss outside, on his way to gather wood for the huge fireplace inside. The nights were growing chilly now, and already some leaves were just beginning to change into their Fall colors.

Hoss's broad grin was a welcoming sight as Sam neared the hitching post. Sam adored this giant of a man – he looked for truth and beauty in all things.

"Hey, Sam!" he exclaimed as he practically pulled her out of her saddle and swung her around in the air happily.

"Hoss!" Sam replied with equal joy. "You're making me dizzy!" She clung to his big neck tightly, but her laughter let him know that she was just teasing.

Little Joe and Ben appeared, having heard the noise from outside the house.

"Hoss, don't make her sick! Hop Sing's been in the kitchen most of the day and will be mad if she can't eat!" Joe was pretending to be stern, but that boyish grin of his gave him away.

Her feet once again planted on the ground, Sam gave Little Joe a quick hug and then turned to face Ben. She hugged him tightly and then felt his arm around her shoulders as they turned to walk into the house. Hoss and Joe gathered firewood and came into the house as Ben and Sam were sitting down – Ben in his large chair and Sam on the sofa.

But somebody was missing, and Sam felt her heart drop.

Sam's face was an open book and Ben could read it well. "Adam just got back from Carson City. He's changing clothes."

Hop Sing emerged from the kitchen, all smiles. "Missie Doctor Sam! Always good to see you here! Supper ready in half an hour." Then he disappeared, mumbling happily to himself.

Sam giggled. "Hop Sing's mumbling again. I guess some things never change."

This brought a round of laughter from all three Cartwrights. Upstairs, Adam heard the laughter, recognized the lilt of Sam's voice and, uncharacteristically nervous, he tucked his shirt into his trousers. By the time he was going down the stairs, the laughter had increased.

He saw Sam before she saw him. He stopped a moment to watch her – her nose wrinkling as she laughed, the way her mane of hair curled erratically around her face, the fullness of her lips, the way her shirt hugged her. He had been tired when he arrived from Carson City, but he wasn't tired now!

"What's all this laughter that I've been hearing?" he asked with a smile.

Sam turned to look at him, saw the dimples in his cheeks, the familiar broad shoulders and the barrel chest with all that curly black hair poking out. Her heart stopped.

Sam spoke first, trying to look insulted. "I was telling them about the day I gathered eggs for Hop Sing, and they seem to think the whole thing was hilarious!"

Adam crossed the room, took Sam's hands in his and gave them a squeeze. "It's good to see you." Hazel eyes met green eyes and held them just a split-second too long. Then came that lop-sided grin that Sam loved so.

"If I remember correctly, you referred to the hens as 'murderous creatures'," Adam said, rubbing his cheek thoughtfully. "But, then you also accused Old Betsy of trying to kill you. I think you need a good psychiatrist with this 'animal paranoia' you have."

Hoss guffawed and then looked at Sam. "I bet I kin tell ya the name of a good 'un!"

Ben joined in the laughter but it didn't affect his scrutinizing his eldest son. Adam hadn't been this animated for a long time. Since Sam was living in the house, in fact.

The conversation before and during supper was comfortable and relaxed. Ben kept a close eye on Adam and Sam, watching to see how they interacted. He didn't miss the fact that there was a lot of eye contact between the two – a good sign. What he didn't see was that Adam's leg had accidentally bumped Sam's leg and that Sam didn't move away. The two legs touched through the entire meal. Ben relaxed and smiled to himself.

Until there was a knock on the door and the sound of a woman's voice calling out, "Yoo-hoo! I made pies today and just thought I'd bring one out here." The voice, of course, belonged to Gretchen.

Adam's face turned to stone. But he rose to his feet as Gretchen swept into the room bearing a cheesecloth-covered plate. Ignoring the rest of the family, she put the plate in Adam's hands, stood on tip-toe and kissed him on the cheek.

Sam looked at Little Joe who gave a slight shrug as if to say, "I had no idea that this was coming."

Hoss just looked stunned. Ben, ever the gentleman, greeted Gretchen and asked her to sit down and have dessert with them. What else could he do?

Gretchen protested that she "just couldn't be such a bother" even as she pulled a chair up to the table. She wedged it between Adam and Sam. Only then did she greet the other Cartwrights. And, as an afterthought, she frostily greeted Sam.

Hop Sing emerged from the kitchen with a huge apple pie in his hands. It smelled delicious – fresh apples and the sweet scent of cinnamon. When he saw Gretchen, he turned on his heels and disappeared into the kitchen. A big crash ensued. Though Ben didn't ask about the crash, everybody but Gretchen knew that the apple pie was suffering from the death throes of noisily hitting the sides of the garbage can.

Cheerfully, Gretchen asked, "Is everybody ready for my homemade gooseberry pie?"

Looking at her, Adam answered dryly, "I wasn't aware you knew how to cook."

"Oh, Adam," Gretchen responded, "I'm just full of surprises!"

 _Yes, you are_ , Sam thought, looking first at Gretchen's sly eyes and then at Adam's expressionless face.

Hoss, who had the tendency to find good in just about everything, broke the tension. "Gooseberry pie is one of mah favorites!"

And, with a flourish, Gretchen whipped the cheesecloth from her dessert. There was stunned silence as all eyes looked at the contents of the plate. There were hills and valleys in the partially-burnt and cracked crust. Juice oozed from underneath the uncrimped sides of the crust and pooled in the plate in gelatinous goo. Gretchen seemed oblivious to the reaction to her "creation." Gleefully, she cut this unmitigated disaster and seemed oblivious when gooseberries and liquid spilled back into the plate. She just used a spoon to capture the "escapees" and dribbled them on top of the crust.

Sam looked at Adam behind Gretchen's back and felt her lips start to twitch into a laugh. Adam's raised eyebrow only made Sam want to laugh more. She didn't dare look at Hoss and Joe, but she did look at Ben. She never remembered his eyes look that wide before. She had to cough to cover up the laughter that threatened to erupt.

As bad as the pie looked, it tasted worse. Obviously some important ingredients had been omitted. As if they were one entity, everybody took a bite at the same time. Even Gretchen's face reflected the fact that something was terribly wrong.

"I just don't know what happened," she drawled.

As much as Sam hated to say it, she tried to find some comforting words. "Sometimes things don't turn out like one would hope. Keep practicing and you'll get the knack of it."

With her face turned toward Sam, Gretchen spoke angrily. "Like _you_ would know about _cooking_! You spend your days riding horses astraddle. You lance boils! And you openly kiss Chinese men in the middle of the street! I certainly don't have to take advice from you!"

As quickly as Gretchen was talking, Sam was turning her plate slowly. While there was a stunned silence, Sam – with surgical precision – sliced with vigor into her dessert. And the pie exploded all over Gretchen's beautiful dress, staining the material as it headed from bodice to waist.

Gretchen shrieked like a banshee. Hoss and Joe jumped in startled surprise. Ben opened his mouth but no words would come out. Adam, the sensible one, ran into the kitchen for some cool water and a towel. Hop Sing peered around the corner, cackled, and disappeared.

"Oh, my," Sam said. "I'm terribly sorry. Who could've known how dangerous gooseberry pie could be?"

Little Joe asked to be excused from the table – he had plans for the evening and didn't want to be late. Hoss had no excuse but asked if he could leave the table. Ben, who didn't trust himself not to laugh out loud, just waved his sons away.

Adam returned with the towel and a pitcher of water but was at a loss of where on Gretchen's body was a decent place to touch. Gretchen snatched the towel from his hands and began trying to dab at the gooey mess staining and still sliding down her bodice.

"My beautiful dress! It's ruined!" sobbed Gretchen. "I've got to go home and see if Mama knows what to do!"

With a final glare at Sam, Gretchen stood up so suddenly that she almost knocked Adam over backwards. Gretchen fled from the house, with Adam and Sam behind her; Ben finally began to laugh but had the decency to laugh into his napkin so that the sounds were muffled.

Adam helped Gretchen into her buggy and watched as she sped away without saying a word.

"What a mess," said Adam, looking at the sticky goop on his hands. He wished he hadn't helped Gretchen into the buggy because there was no safe place to touch.

"Ummm," murmured Sam. "How unfortunate."

"Unfortunate?" Adam asked. "That's an odd choice of words."

"The dress was beautiful. I was aiming at her _face_!"

"You?" Adam looked at Sam, his face angry. "You did that _on purpose_?"

Sam flashed her sweetest smile. And then Adam began to chuckle. The chuckle turned into explosive laughter, with Adam having to lean against the hitching post just to be able to keep his legs under him.

Between fits of laughter, he tried to scold Sam. "That was a _terrible_ thing to do!"

Sam snorted. "She said some terrible things and deserved what she got. Besides, it's quite obvious that her little surprise visit was planned."

Adam, still chuckling, began to calm down. "I don't follow you."

Sam snorted again. "She knew I would be here tonight. She either heard me talking to Little Joe or somebody overheard the conversation and told her about it. What woman makes a special trip out of town, on the very night I was invited to supper, not knowing when you would be home, and wearing such a beautiful dress? The pie was an excuse to come out here. For God's sake, Adam, open your eyes! She sees me as competition and she wants to show me that you belong to her!"

Adam thought this over for a minute, searching Sam's eyes for answers. "What was that remark she made about your kissing a Chinese man?"

"When Little Joe and Hop Sing were in town, I kissed Hop Sing on the cheek."

Suddenly, Adam put his arm around Sam's shoulders and steered her back toward the house. Without looking at her, he spoke. "Things have been too tame around here. It's good to have you back, Gunga Din."

Sam wasn't exactly sure what that meant but she wisely chose to keep her mouth shut. Right now, she just wanted to revel in the feeling of the weight of Adam's arm on her shoulders.

Ben was still in the dining room when Adam and Sam walked in. And, as it turned out, Hop Sing hadn't thrown away the apple pie; he had kicked the trash can with his foot. As Ben, Adam and Sam enjoyed the delicious apple pie, Adam told his father what had really happened. Ben roared with laughter.

Later, though she couldn't find Hoss to say good night, Sam hugged Ben and thanked him for a wonderful evening. Ben left Adam to walk Sam outside. Climbing into Fancy's saddle, Sam smiled down at Adam. He rested one hand on her leg and told her to be careful on the way back to town. His eyes were warm, and Sam didn't want to leave. But she _had_ to. Touching his hand briefly, Sam rode away.

Once again, Adam was left to watch as Sam left. But this time, it felt different. He had a lot to think about.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam rested his head on his pillow and tried to sleep, but sleep just wouldn't come. He began to think in a realistic way.

 _When Sam left me, I was hurt. Really hurt. I thought she cared as much for me as I did for her. Then Gretchen appeared – beautiful Gretchen with her constant attention to my every need. Every need. True, she lacks in areas of education, and it's true that she can be a little on the meek side and a little on the uppity side, but she was so good for my ego. I've heard rumors about her and other men, but rumors don't mean much to me. She's always acted like a lady – in public anyway... But I can't dismiss how she acted tonight at supper. I've never seen her act or speak like I did tonight. And, the more I think about it, Sam probably was right about Gretchen's arriving to sabotage our meal. There doesn't seem to be any explanation for her showing up at such an opportune time. Have I been a fool?_

Throwing the covers back, Adam walked over to his armoire. Opening its door, he found, way back in a small corner of a shelf, a small box filled with tissue paper. And inside the paper was a bar of lavender soap. The scent made him smile. Wrapping the soap back in its paper, returning it to its box, Adam got in bed again. And thought about Sam.

 _Sam isn't the raving beauty that Gretchen is, but outward beauty isn't all that important to me. Maybe it was important when Gretchen and I began seeing each other but it doesn't seem to matter now. Sam is forthright and sassy and outspoken. She makes me laugh – hell, she makes the whole family laugh. She's devoted to her work, and people trust her. She doesn't care whether she rides bareback or in a saddle; she whoops with glee and doesn't care whether she kisses an Oriental in broad daylight in the middle of the street. She knows when to talk and she knows when to be quiet. She's a lady with high standards._

Adam sat bolt upright in bed. _An honest lady with high standards! Of course! That's it!_ Adam suddenly realized why Sam _had_ to go back to San Francisco. Her honesty and sense of responsibility were the reasons she had to return to Robert!

 _Why couldn't I see that at the time? Pure selfishness on my part. That doesn't say a lot for my character. And I see now that Sam was in a predicament – the same one I'm in now. One relationship has to be seen through to the end before another one can be started._

Adam put his head on his pillow and fell into a deep, relaxing sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter** **4**

Due to pressing ranch issues, it was four days before Adam had an opportunity to ride into town. His first stop was at Doc Martin's office. He knew what he wanted to say to Sam – needed to say to her. Doc turned when he heard the door open. As Adam entered the office, the two men shook hands. Adam got right to the point. "Where's Sam?"

"She's at Ned and Matilda's place. Ned came rushing in here four days ago in a frenzy over Matilda, and Sam hasn't been back since. Seems Matilda's been running a high fever, and Sam volunteered to go check on her. I've been out there myself to take over, but Sam was adamant that she could handle everything by herself. It's a good thing I came back – I've delivered two babies and set some broken bones. Virginia City really does need two doctors, I've discovered."

"Thanks, Doc," Adam said as he quickly exited the office. Climbing into the saddle, he kicked Sport into a full gallop and headed out to Ned's place.

Adam liked both Ned and Matilda. Though they were among the poorest citizens of Virginia City, they were hard workers, tending to their small vegetable garden from dawn to dusk, and they were proud people. Matilda must've been really sick for Ned to be asking for help that he undoubtedly couldn't afford.

Ned was working in his garden, tending to his winter vegetables, when Adam rode up.

"Hello, Adam," Ned said in greeting. The Cartwrights were among the very few people who were constantly kind to him and his wife.

"How's Matilda?" Adam asked as he dismounted and tied Sport's reins to the branches of a spindly tree near where Fancy was tethered.

"Doctor Sam has taken mighty good care of her. I don't think she's gotten no sleep for almost four days now. But my Matilda's fever has broken and she can keep down broth and crackers now. That's a good sign, isn't it?"

Adam smiled at Ned. "Yes, that's a very good sign."

Adam entered the one room shack and saw Matilda first. She looked up at Adam and smiled, continuing to dip her crackers into what smelled like a hearty broth. Adam spoke gently to the woman and then asked where Sam was.

"She be outside, gatherin' some wood for the stove, I think."

Sam entered the shack at that moment, her arms loaded with wood. Adam was horrified at her appearance – her clothes were filthy, her hair was a nest of snarls, and her eyes were encircled by dark shadows.

"Adam! What brings you out here," Sam asked tiredly.

"Doc Martin was curious as to Matilda's recovery," Adam lied.

"Matilda had some bad food poisoning, but she's on the mend now. I'll be coming back to town later."

Adam rushed to take the stack of wood from Sam's arms. "You look so tired, Sam. Why don't you let me stay here with Ned and Matilda and you leave right now and go get some rest?"

Sam couldn't help but notice the concern on Adam's face and the gentleness in his eyes. She smiled.

"Thanks, Adam. But I'm planning on cooking some lunch – something with some body to it – and I want to be sure that Matilda's stomach will stay settled."

Adam hesitated. He didn't want to leave Sam – there were so many things he wanted to discuss with her. But this wasn't the time. And there was nothing he could do helpful.

Sam looked at him curiously. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

"Nothing that can't wait until you're rested." He stroked the line of her jaw with one finger. "But I want you to know that I understand the fact that relationships just can't be terminated willy-nilly. People have feelings that should be handled carefully."

And then he left, leaving Sam wondering what in the world he was talking about.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two days later, a much-rested Sam was eating lunch in the café when the third member of the "gossip triumvirate" appeared. Her name was "Henrietta," and she had the face of a horse and the body of a giraffe. Her only saving features were her beautiful big brown eyes and her gleaming white teeth. Sam had met her only once and, like Drucilla and Thelma, she couldn't help but like this woman.

"Doctor Sam!" said Henrietta breathlessly. "Have you seen Drucilla recently?

Sam had to admit that she had not.

"Well, her back pain and swollen legs are improving practically before my very eyes! Those pills you gave her have just made a new person out of her! Why, she's even having to buy some new clothes because she's getting thinner!"

Sam kept her face looking professional and thought, _Her symptoms are improving because she's carrying less weight around._ Instead of saying that, she asked Henrietta to tell Drucilla to come see her at Doc Martin's and perhaps a medication adjustment might be in order.

Henrietta nodded. "Are you going to be able to go to the big barbecue on Friday?"

"What big barbecue?" Samantha hadn't heard about it.

"Oh, the Cartwrights always have a huge barbecue at the beginning of Fall. They have it every year and the whole town is invited. Of course, we all bring some kind of covered dish so there's always food left over – not that Hop Sing doesn't make enough for half the world. There's music and dancing and everything! There are no written invitations, so we just pass on the news to everybody we see."

"It sounds like a wonderful get-together," Sam smiled.

"Of course, that _Gretchen_ will be there with Adam. She acts like she's some kind of princess or something. Frankly, I don't know what Adam sees in her, but…"

The thought of being anywhere around Gretchen made Sam lose her appetite. "Well, I'd love to go, Miss Henrietta, but I have my job with Doc Martin. He may want for me to stay in town."

"Nonsense! He attends the barbecue himself every year." Then, "You might catch yourself an eligible man out there. You're too pretty to still be single."

As Henrietta rose abruptly to leave, Sam told her that she would be there if she could. What she didn't say was that the only eligible man she wanted was Adam Cartwright.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The day before the big barbecue, Adam returned to Doc Martin's office and found Sam there alone. "You sure do look better than the last time I saw you," Adam commented as he entered the outer room.

"Well, 'hello' to you too," answered Sam, a little on edge.

"Where's Doc Martin?"

"Having a late lunch. He should be back soon. Is everything okay? I can go get him if you need him." Sam's voice lost its edginess and she was immediately alert.

"Relax, Gunga Din. Everything's fine," Adam answered. He was ready to talk to Sam, had been putting it off way too long, but he didn't want to interrupt if Doc Martin was in the other room with a patient.

"Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable," Sam invited. Being called by her pet name pleased her.

Adam sat and looked around the office. He didn't know how to start the conversation. But he got side-tracked when he saw a guitar in the corner of the room.

"I didn't know Doc played the guitar," Adam mused.

"He doesn't. I do," came the answer.

This was a definite surprise to Adam. "I didn't know you could play. You never told me that. Let me look at your fingers."

With a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, Sam extended her left hand, fingertips pointed upward. Indeed, there were hard callouses on the tips of each finger, a sure sign of skin pressing against a stringed instrument.

Handing the guitar to Sam, Adam leaned back in his chair. And Sam went through several chord progressions easily, even managing to throw in a few arpeggios. Adam was impressed.

"After I heard you play, I thought that music would be a good way to relax. I bought this old guitar and took lessons in San Francisco. Lordy, my fingers hurt for weeks! First my fingertips turned bright red, then they blistered, and finally the callouses popped up. But the music is relaxing, and I enjoy it. Too bad I don't sing well." Sam shrugged her shoulders.

"You play very well," Adam said with a smile. "Some people just give up when the blisters appear and decide the pain isn't worth it."

"I was determined," Sam answered. But she didn't tell Adam the reason for her determination – she had wanted to play the guitar because it reminded her of Adam.

"Will you bring your guitar to the barbecue tomorrow? The folks who can play instruments always bring them and we sit and have a good time."

"I don't know if I play well enough to do that," Sam said as she considered the idea. "And I haven't practiced much in the last week. I only found out about the barbecue yesterday from Henrietta."

"Ah, yes. Henrietta. She and Drucilla and Thelma _do_ keep the town apprised of just about everything."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "I understand that you're taking Gretchen."

Now was the time to talk, and Adam knew it. "I want to talk to you about Gretchen. I've seen glimpses of things that I find unacceptable about her. I paid very close attention to what you said the other night. Unfortunately, Gretchen and I made plans for this barbecue before the…um…er…gooseberry pie incident. I can't – won't – break a date with anybody unless there's some kind of emergency."

Sam listened intently then spoke. "Are you going to continue to see her?"

"Unfortunately, you've seen only the bad side of her personality. Up until now, I've seen the good in her. I need time to figure out if this relationship is ever going anywhere. I'm not sure about a lot of things. But I finally understand why you had to go back to Robert to see how things would work out. I was angry with you for a long time, Gunga Din. I thought that you had just been playing games with me. I know better now."

Sam had unconsciously been holding her breath, and now she exhaled and inhaled again. "Thank you for understanding, Adam. And thank you for telling me all this. I know, for a man like you, that this was difficult to say. A wise man once told me to do what was right for _me_ , and you have to do the same for _yourself_."

"Good advice," Adam replied. "Sounds like something Pa would say."

"He did," was Sam's answer.

Reaching for Sam's hands, Adam held them, turned them over and ran his thumbs across her palms, stroking gently. He opened his mouth to speak.

Doc Martin chose this unpropitious moment to return to his office and immediately realized how bad his timing was. But it was too late to do anything about it. Cheerfully, he ignored the fact that he had seen the two holding hands and said, "I hope that you've come to give us a personal invitation to the barbecue, Adam."

Adam released Sam's hands and stood up. "Nobody in this whole town needs a formal invitation, Doc. You know that. And I expect to see both of you tomorrow evening. Last year, Timmy fell out of the tree, Meredith skinned both knees, Corky got a tooth knocked out, and Amy had a cut on her head. And that was just the beginning! You'll need all the help you can get!"

Doc Martin thought back. "There were several adults who had problems. I think it had something to do with the punch bowl that your father hid. That recipe sure did pack a wallop!"

Adam grinned that lop-sided grin and did his best to look innocent. "I have no idea what you're talking about." And then he headed out the door.

"Fine man, that Adam Cartwright," Doc said.

Sam answered wistfully, "Yes, he is."


	5. Chapter 5

In the late evening, after she had eaten supper, Sam took Fancy out for a long ride. There was no particular destination – just a nice long walk under the stars. Sam talked to Fancy as they moseyed along, and the topic of conversation was about Adam.

 _I understand more about Adam now than I ever did before. He's an honorable man and, even if he's too blind to see through Gretchen, he's willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. For the life of me, I just don't understand what he sees in her, but then I'm not the one to judge someone else's feelings. He cares for me – I can see it in his eyes, feel it in the touch of his hands – but I hurt him and I don't know if he can ever look back and try to pick up where things left off. He has to make decisions as he sees fit – without any pushing from me._

Fancy stopped and looked at Sam, bobbing her head as if in agreement. Then the two rode on for a very long time until the chill of the night air penetrated Sam's light jacket and she turned back in the direction of town. Arriving at the livery stable, Fancy got a good brushing and some extra sweet-feed and watched with her soft eyes as Sam left for the hotel.

Sam was thirsty. The hour was late and, as she passed a saloon, she decided to stop in to have a beer. _To hell with propriety!_ She peeked over the swinging doors and saw that the saloon was almost empty, so she entered and headed for the bar. The few men sitting there gaped, but Sam didn't care. She had met the bartender, Cosmo, more than a week ago and felt safe.

"Doctor Sam," Cosmo smiled in greeting. "What can I do for you?"

"I would love a beer, Cosmo," Sam smiled back. "The colder the better."

"Coming right up," Cosmo answered. He disappeared briefly and returned with a beer-filled mug. "Got this from the ice house downstairs."

The beer was, indeed, cold. Sam drank it quickly – maybe a little too quickly. She felt her eyes beginning to lose their focus, so she thanked Cosmo, paid him, and headed for the hotel. She would sleep well tonight.

As she walked toward her hotel, she saw a young couple in a passionate embrace and thought how nice it was to see two people so in love. But, as she got closer, one figure looked quite familiar. Too familiar. Sam's head cleared immediately. As she neared the couple, she recognized Gretchen. And Gretchen and her male friend were also headed in the direction of the hotel!

Sam decided to go up the back stairway to get to her room, hoping that she wouldn't be seen. Her timing was off. Just as Sam turned the corner to the hallway leading to her room, there was Gretchen, still clinging to the arm of the unknown man. Gretchen turned her head slightly, and her eyes met Sam's. Almost in defiance, Gretchen glared, grabbed the man's hand, and disappeared into the room.

Sam was astounded! Should she tell Adam or not? The question plagued her off and on all night. Her decision was to keep her mouth shut. But she wasn't happy at all.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Due to a few last-minute patients, Sam and Doc Martin got a late start heading out to the Ponderosa but Sam was reassured by Doc that being late was no problem – the festivities would last well into the night. Sam looked behind her seat and saw that her guitar was there, wedged in between two medical bags. She had almost changed her mind about coming to the barbecue in view of what she had seen last night but had changed her mind at the last minute. But, to wise Doc Martin, Sam was subdued.

"Feel like talking about what's bothering you?" Doc asked.

Sam answered with a question of her own. "If a person has knowledge of something that another person needs to know, should the information be shared?"

"Would such information be hurtful to somebody?"

"It might be."

"Is this information a matter of life or death?"

"No."

"Then it's wise for a person to keep the information private."

Sam sighed. "That's what I thought."

"Especially if the information is in regard to the goings-on of a certain female and an unknown man last night." Doc kept his eyes on the road.

Sam's jaw dropped open.

"I saw them last night when I was walking back to the office. I saw you, too, coming out of the Sazarak."

Sam was still speechless.

"Adam's a grown man, Sam. He needs to make up his own mind based on what he sees in a person. If you were to ask my advice, I would tell you to keep your mouth shut. I know for a fact that I'm not the only person who is privy to personal information. Let another person tell him – don't be the eager bearer of evil tidings yourself. He may want to shoot the messenger because he doesn't like the message."

Sam looked thoughtfully for a moment and then put her hand on Doc's arm. "Thank you for your non-advice. I had already made up my mind – well, mostly – to say nothing. You just helped me make up my mind completely."

Doc Martin smiled and changed the subject. "I can smell the barbecue from here! I sure am hungry!"

Sam smiled, "So am I!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam drew in a deep breath when she saw the hundreds of Chinese lanterns all lit up, the garlands of flowers trailing from the roof of the big house, massive tables set out in the front yard to hold platters containing all kinds of food. Huge sides of beef on spits were being turned slowly over open fires, the scented smoke rising into the cool night air. Throngs of people were sitting everywhere – on benches, in chairs, and even on the ground. Children were playing, adults were talking and laughing. What a wonderful sight!

Doc helped Sam from the buggy and led her around to greet all the outside guests, most of whom Sam had met before. Drucilla, Thelma and Henrietta were helping themselves to the plates that had been set out. Hoss was trying to make his way through the throng, a piglet under one arm and a happy, dirty-faced child under the other. He greeted Sam and Doc, then added, "I don't know for sure which one of these to wash. Go have fun." And he strode off toward the water trough. Sam giggled.

Little Joe had cornered a very attractive young lady and was busy giving her his "little boy" smile. He waved and then turned back to the young lady.

Doc Martin chuckled. "Typical Little Joe. Lasso a gal and then monopolize her time."

"She _likes_ it!" Sam laughed.

Hop Sing passed by, all smiles. "You eat. Plenty food!" He was on his way to help Ned turn one of the spits.

Ben appeared out of nowhere. "I was beginning to think that you two weren't coming," he said, squeezing Sam's hands and then shaking Doc's hand. "Please, grab a plate and help yourselves. There's a lot to choose from!" Then he excused himself to greet a few other late arrivals.

Doc saw Sam looking around. "My best guess is that Adam is in the house. Go say hello, why don't you?"

Sam kissed him on the cheek and then walked into the house. The transformation was incredible! All the furniture had been moved which left the floor ready for dancing. One large corner held musical instruments while the band members ate outside. Candles were lit everywhere and the fireplace gave off a cheery glow.

Adam saw Sam the minute she walked through the door. He had been afraid she wouldn't come and he was more than delighted to see her. She kissed him on both cheeks as he held her hands.

"I'm so glad you're here," he whispered. "You look beautiful."

Sam had taken great pains in choosing what to wear. She finally settled on a moderately low-cut green dress, simple but quite form-fitting. She had obviously made the right choice, judging by the look on Adam's face.

Guided by Adam's hand on her elbow, she walked into the room. The first couple she was introduced to were Friedhelm and Ilsa Werner. Gretchen's parents.

"We've heard so much about you," Mrs. Werner said. "I'm glad we've finally got the chance to meet you in person."

Mr. Werner, never much for words, just smiled and shook Sam's hand.

Sam looked into their faces, their eyes, and saw simple honesty. Evidently, Gretchen hadn't said anything unkind to her parents about Sam.

"How very nice to meet you," Sam answered. "I've heard that you grow the largest crops of vegetables for miles around."

"It's hard work, but we take pride in what we do," Mr. Werner said. His smile said the rest.

Adam steered Sam over to a large group of people, introduced her to those she hadn't met, and then disappeared. Sam was on her own but wasn't intimidated. She could carry on small talk as well as anyone could. Suddenly, she felt a firm tug on her arm. Turning, she stared into Gretchen's eyes. "I need to talk to you. _Now_!"

As petite as Gretchen was, she was quite strong, and Sam felt herself being half-dragged into the kitchen. If the top of the Dutch door hadn't been open, the heat would've been stifling.

"I know you don't like me," began Gretchen, "but please don't tell Adam what you saw last night. It was just a…fling…just for one night with a man I met at the restaurant. Adam would hate me if he knew what I did."

Sam took a deep breath, trying to calculate what to say. "I have no intention of telling Adam anything of what I saw last night. If he knew you were in a hotel room with another man having what you call a 'fling', it would break his heart. Adam is a good man with high standards and he deserves a woman who has those same standards. Apparently, you don't. What a shame."

That being said, Sam turned and left the room, leaving Gretchen standing alone. Neither woman had known that Adam had been on his way into the kitchen from outside to refill a punch bowl. He heard the whole conversation. He waited until Gretchen had left the kitchen before he went inside. His mind was spinning.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam decided to go outside to get something to eat even though she had thought she had lost her appetite. But listening to the laughter of so many people, looking at the decorations and watching the stars twinkling in the clear sky was comforting and relaxing. She ate more than she had intended.

Adam materialized at her side. "Where's your guitar? You _did_ bring it, didn't you?"

Swallowing the last bite of potato salad on her plate, Sam could only nod.

"Well, let's go get it! It's time for some singing before the dancing starts."

Gretchen watched from the shadows as Adam and Sam walked to Doc Martin's buggy. Her mouth turned down in an ugly snarl as she heard them laughing.

The sounds of a harmonica filled the air; then there were two harmonicas. Added to that were the sounds of banjos and fiddles and then guitars. With the addition of Adam and Sam, the front porch was soon full as the makeshift band segued into a song that everybody knew. Sam was glad because the chords to this song were ones she was familiar with, and she tapped her foot to the beat. Adam looked at her and grinned as he sang – his wonderful baritone and perfect pitch taking the lead. And then, distracted by his harmony, Sam just forgot to strum and looked into his face. Gently, he prodded her with his knee and she began to strum again. True, she wasn't the best singer in the world, but she could carry a decent tune. And, as she relaxed, she felt like she and Adam were the only two people in the world. There were, of course, songs that she didn't know. At those times, Adam turned his guitar neck toward her so that she could watch the chord progressions. It didn't take long for her to catch on. How wonderful it was to be a part of this! People singing, tapping their feet, clapping their hands. Even the children got involved in the singing of songs that were familiar to them. Sam couldn't remember a time when she had so much fun!

Gretchen's mood got blacker. She saw the way Adam looked at Sam and felt "her man" slipping out of her grasp.

Now the evening was growing late. And the chill air set in. Parents gathered up their children and began heading for home. There were still plenty of adults left, and they helped carry food into the kitchen. Hop Sing was delighted – he wouldn't have to cook for a week!

And the dancing started. Though Gretchen clung to Adam like a second skin, Sam tried to convince herself that she didn't mind. And Sam discovered that she was not destined to be a wall-flower. Every now and then, she would peek over her dance partner's shoulders and see Adam looking at her. Sometimes he would smile and sometimes his face was absolutely inscrutable. _Lord help me. I hope he's jealous!_

Sam wasn't sure just when things changed but, when she looked across the floor at Adam, Gretchen had disappeared. And Adam was dancing with Drucilla! Sam found herself in Jess's arms and was trying hard to concentrate on following his lead (or lack of it) and, when she looked up, she saw Adam's face. He was trying hard to not laugh, and Sam started to giggle. She forgot to concentrate on Jess's flying feet and, if weren't for her quick reflexes, she might have gotten stomped on. Fortunately, the song was over.

Heading swiftly to the punch bowl, Sam stood behind the table and tried to look inconspicuous. Feeling a gentle nudge, she saw Adam standing next to her, his lips twitching.

"Enjoy your dance with Jess?" he asked.

"As much as you enjoyed dancing with Drucilla. Though she does look like she's lost weight," Sam countered.

"Actually, she's very light on her feet. Are _you_?" Adam's tone sounded more like a friendly dare than a question.

"Fortunately, I dance better than I sing," Sam answered.

And then Adam put her cup of punch on the table and guided her onto the dance floor. The band began playing a waltz, and Sam found herself in Adam's strong arms, being guided expertly across the floor. They began the dance at a reasonable and accepted distance apart but, gradually, Sam felt Adam's hand pulling her closer. And closer. Until their bodies actually touched. In order to keep her balance, Sam was forced to put her right leg between both of Adam's legs.

"Adam, stop that! It's indecent!"

"Yep," came the reply as hazel eyes bored into green ones.

The pair moved as one entity, and Adam's eyes never left Sam's face. Sam trembled. Or was Adam trembling? All Sam knew was that she was where she wanted to be, in Adam's arms, feeling his heart beat.

"People are staring at us," Sam whispered.

"Uh-huh," was the answer. No lop-sided grin. No funny remark.

Indeed, people were watching the two as they dipped and turned in perfect rhythm. Maybe Adam and Sam were dancing rather immodestly, but what a beautiful couple they made.

The music stopped, and Adam was slow to release Sam. Breaking the spell, Sam made a low curtsy. Adam bowed.

The applause was broken by an unearthly shriek. This horrible sound continued as Gretchen swept onto the floor and stood facing Sam. Her beautiful face had turned into something hideous.

" _You get away from him_!" Gretchen screamed.

The room fell into a stunned silence. There was no time for anybody to react.

"I said to _get away from him_! He's _mine_! _Mine_!"

Adam started to move toward Gretchen, but Sam put up her hand for him to stop. Sam's medical experience told her how to act and react.

As calmly as she could, Sam answered. "I'm not trying to take Adam away from you. All we did was have one dance."

Gretchen's voice lowered but her expression didn't change. "I saw it. I've been watching you two all night. Touching each other, smiling and laughing with each other, rubbing against each other. It's _disgusting_! You spend time lancing boils and touching dirty bodies. You spent four days in that shack of a place that Ned and Matilda call 'home' and then you bring God-only-knows what kind of vermin home in your hair and on your clothes. Tell me, you tramp, how many naked men do you look at? What do you do with them when nobody's looking? Have you had a good look at Adam's naked body?"

Adam felt like his feet were nailed to the floor. But Ben moved quickly to take Gretchen's arm as Friedhelm and Ilsa just stood and looked horrified. Wrestling her arm away from Ben, Gretchen closed the distance between her and Sam. With lightning speed, she hit Sam square on the cheekbone.

Sam steeled herself against the stinging blow, trying hard to maintain her calm. "Gretchen, somebody should slap some sense into you. But it won't be _me_. It won't be _me_." Then, "Oh, the hell it _will_ be _me_!"

Sam slapped Gretchen so hard that it sounded like the crack of a bullwhip. Gretchen went flying backward, windmilling her arms to try to keep her balance but failing. She fell in a heap by the front door. She sat there and cried hysterically.

Ilsa was at her side first, wrapping her loving mother's arms around her daughter. Friedhelm, at a loss of what to do, patted his daughter's shoulders awkwardly.

Doc Martin was the next one to approach. "Hoss, help me get her outside."

Hoss scooped the hysterical Gretchen into his arms and, as he did so, Gretchen's face could clearly be seen. On her face was a bright red hand print which was getting redder by the second. Doc herded the Werners and Hoss out the door.

Adam, still stunned – as were the other guests – finally found his voice. "Are you all right?" he asked Sam, looking at the swelling bruise under her right eye.

"Go talk to her, Adam. I think she needs you right now. I'm fine."

Grudgingly, Adam did as Sam asked. Meanwhile, Hop Sing had soaked a towel in cool water and helped Sam put it to her cheek. Quietly, guests began gathering their belongings and, when Doc Martin entered and said that the Werners had taken their daughter home, people began thanking Ben for the party and then they disappeared. Doc Martin planned to follow the Werners home and to give Gretchen a sedative.

Adam appeared. "Well, my problems are over. She never wants to see me again. What a shame." Adam's sarcastic tone only served to reveal that he was relieved.

"Somebody tell me what happened!" demanded Little Joe. "I was outside and heard screaming and then Gretchen was outside crying and…"

"Not now, Joseph!" Ben warned.

"That's the strangest thing I ever did see," Hoss commented to nobody in particular.

Removing the towel from her cheek, Sam looked at Ben. "I ruined your party. I'm so sorry. So much for my years of medical training…"

Ben's deep chuckle was a surprise. "It wasn't your fault, Sam. She just pushed you too far. Feisty little thing, wasn't she? This sure will be a party to remember."

And Sam found herself laughing in spite of the trembling in her body.

Adam looked at her face. "Pretty colors," he said as he looked at the growing bruise. Then, "Nothing's ever dull when you're around." He put the towel gently back on Sam's cheek and pulled her head over onto his shoulder.

"Will somebody _please_ tell me what happened?" Joe begged.

Hoss put his big arm around his brother's shoulders and walked him to the door. "Where were you anyhow?"

"Taking a walk with Connie," Joe answered as he was steered outside. His voice faded away as the door closed.

"Little Joe and his walks in the moonlight," Ben muttered.

From underneath the towel, Sam giggled.


	6. Chapter 6

Hoss and Little Joe had come back inside. Little Joe was unusually quiet.

"Brandy is what we all need!" Ben boomed. He filled snifters for everyone, including Hop Sing.

Sam removed the towel from her face and lifted her head from Adam's shoulder. She accepted the brandy gratefully. The warm liquid offset the adrenalin that had been rushing through her body and she felt herself relaxing. She felt so tired and her eyelids were so heavy. The fire felt so good and warm. The voices in the room began to fade away…so far away…

"Did she faint, Pa?" Hoss asked, concern in his voice.

"No, son. I think she just fell asleep," Ben answered quietly. To Adam, he said, "Go put her in the guest room. There's no sense in taking her home in this condition."

Adam gathered Sam into his arms and she stirred slightly, resting her head against his chest. Adam caught the scent of lavender soap.

Hop Sing had run into the guest room and pulled the covers down and then hurried back out again. There was cleaning up to be done.

Placing her on the bed, Adam remembered to take off Sam's shoes.

Sam opened one bleary eye. "Are you groping me?"

"Not yet, Gunga Din. Not yet."

Sam was deep asleep now. She didn't feel the kiss on her cheek or on the top of her head. She didn't feel Adam's fingertips trail across her lips. She didn't hear him say "Good night, love," as he closed the door behind him. But she smiled in her sleep.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was mid-morning when Sam awoke, cobwebs of sleep making her mind fuzzy. The first thing she was aware of was that her cheek was sore. The second thing she was aware of was that she had slept in her dress. The third thing was that she was not in her hotel room – she was in the familiar surroundings of the guest room at the Ponderosa. The memories of last night flooded her mind and cleared the cobwebs.

Quickly, she jumped out of bed and stood in front of the mirror. She saw the bruise on her cheek – actually it wasn't as bad as it felt. She touched it once, tentatively, and decided that she wouldn't touch it again. The mirror reflected the thousand wrinkles in her dress, and she rolled her eyes. The floor was cool on her feet, and she looked for her shoes, found them placed neatly at the foot of the bed, and decided not to put them on. She was embarrassed about slapping Gretchen and didn't want to face the Cartwrights but she couldn't stay in bed all day. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped out.

The furniture was back in place. Hoss and Little Joe weren't there, but Ben and Adam were sitting and talking quietly.

Ben rose and smiled. "Good morning, sleepy head! Can I pour you a cup of coffee?"

Adam pulled out a chair for her to be seated. "I thought you were gonna sleep the day away." He smiled.

"I'm mortified," Sam said morosely as she sat down. "I have no excuse to offer for what I did last night. I beg your forgiveness."

Ben looked at her. "Sam, I'm not condoning what happened but things are what they are. The circumstances were unfortunate but they're over and done with. Today is a new day. There's nothing to forgive."

"But I ruined your party."

" _Gretchen_ 'ruined' the party," Adam interjected. "We all could've handled things in a different way but everything happened so suddenly…" His voice trailed off and then he grinned. "That bruise isn't nearly as colorful as I thought it would be."

" _Adam_!" Sam retorted.

Hop Sing appeared, his eyes twinkling. "Missie Doctor Sam ready for breakfast?"

"Not if I have to fight the chickens for their eggs," Sam answered. "I think I've had enough trouble already."

Hop Sing cackled, disappeared, and returned with some toast, apple butter and a big glass of milk. Though Sam wasn't hungry, she appreciated the cook's efforts, and decided she ought to eat. She thanked Hop Sing and then buttered the toast. It tasted wonderful and so did the milk!

"I have to get back to town. Would you mind if I borrowed one of your horses?"

"I've got to go to town anyway, so you can ride with me in the buckboard," Adam answered.

"Well, that'll be an interesting sight," Sam retorted. "Me with a wrinkled dress riding into town with you. What will people think?"

"Do you really care?" Adam asked, smirking.

"Yes. No. Well, a little bit."

"By the time you finish eating, I'll be ready," Adam said, rising and heading toward the door.

"Ben, I…"

Ben held up his hand to indicate silence. "Not another word, Sam. I already told you that today is a new day."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After retrieving her shoes, Sam went outside to meet Adam. Helping her onto the high seat of the buckboard, Adam's hand slipped slightly.

"Adam, are you groping me?"

"Nope. If I'd wanted to grope you, I'd have done it last night when I put you in bed." There was a merry twinkle in his eyes.

Sam wrinkled her nose and made a face. "You're incorrigible! And, if memory serves me, you're also a Peeping Tom. Who knows what you might have done to me last night when I was asleep!"

With a serious face, Adam answered. "If I were to do anything to you, it wouldn't be while you were asleep."

Sam opened her mouth and then shut it again. Adam climbed onto the seat, clucked at the horses and headed them toward the road to Virginia City.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dark clouds were beginning to appear way off on the horizon. Adam had been unusually quiet, completely different than he had been earlier. Sam attempted small talk. "Looks like we're in for some rain later today."

"Uh-huh."

"It'll be good for Ned and Matilda's crops," Sam added.

"Uh-huh."

"And it'll settle some of this dust." Sam kept trying to get Adam to talk.

"Uh-huh."

"You're angry with me, aren't you?" Sam asked, looking at Adam's profile.

"Uh-huh."

"Adam, I apologized to you and your family for what I did. I was wrong. Continuing to say that I'm sorry won't make things better."

Adam stopped the horses abruptly and turned to look into Sam's eyes. "I'm not angry with you for what you did, Sam. I'm angry at you for what you didn't do."

Sam shook her head, confused. Adam didn't call her "Gunga Din." He called her "Sam." He was angry at what she _didn't_ do?

"You should have told me," Adam said. "About Gretchen and the hotel room."

"How did you know about that?" Sam asked, stalling for time.

Adam considered telling a lie but dispensed with that idea. "While you and Gretchen were in the kitchen talking last night, I was standing outside the door. I heard everything."

"Oh," was all Sam could say.

"Why didn't you tell me what you knew?" Adam's face was confused. "I thought we had a better relationship than for you to hide important information from me."

Sam thought for a minute. "First of all, I wasn't aware that we even _had_ a relationship. Second, I wasn't deliberately trying to hide anything from you. I thought for a long time about how I should handle the situation and decided that it wasn't up to me to be the bearer of bad news. If I saw Gretchen committing an indiscretion, then other people probably saw her too. You would've found out sooner or later. You had to make your own decisions based on how you felt with what knowledge you already had. It's not my place to interfere."

Adam listened intently.

Sam continued. "The way things are between you and me, I wasn't comfortable telling tales about someone you cared for."

"And how are things between you and me?" Adam asked.

Slowly, Sam answered. "I don't know."

"I think you _do_ know. And so do _I_ ." With that, he clucked again at the horses and they began to plod forward.

Neither Sam nor Adam spoke a word all the way to town. Both were lost in their own thoughts.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

While Sam was trying to sort out her thoughts, Adam was also thinking things through. _What would_ _ **I**_ _have done if the situation had been reversed? What if I knew Robert and caught him cheating on Sam? Would telling her what I had seen cause problems forever between us or would Sam have been grateful to know what was happening behind her back? Would she have believed me or would she have thought that I was making up a story to try to keep us together?_

Moments before they arrived in town, Adam touched Sam's hand. "You did the right thing, Sam." And that was all he said.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Adam drove the wagon into town, the stage passed by them in a cloud of dust. And, in front of the hotel, here came Henrietta sprinting across the street. Adam hardly had time to help Sam out of the wagon before Henrietta began chattering. And right behind her came Drucilla and Thelma.

"Oh, my dear," Henrietta cried. "Look at your poor face!"

Thelma glared at Adam. "You should have done something to stop this!"

Last in line was Drucilla. "You just missed the stage. Why, with the sedative Doc Martin gave Gretchen, she almost had to be _carried_ onto the stage! Ilsa looked just miserable and Friedhelm didn't look much better!" Drucilla whispered, "They're taking her to Denver to some kind of hospital that specializes in mental problems."

To Henrietta, Sam said, "My face is much better than it looks. And I was wrong in slapping Gretchen."

To Thelma, Sam said, "Don't blame Adam. I stopped him from stepping in because I thought I could handle it. I used very poor judgment in an awkward situation, and the fault lies with me."

To Drucilla, Sam said, "It's probably best that we missed the stage. Doc Martin knows what he's doing. And there's no shame in getting help – either physically or mentally. Please don't judge her so harshly. I'd consider it a personal favor if none of you spoke of this ever again."

Turning to Adam, Sam said, "Thank you for the ride into town. I'm going to my room for a little while and then I need to get back to work with Doc Martin."

Adam nodded, touched the brim of his hat to all four ladies, climbed aboard the wagon and drove off. He had errands to run, and a beer or two might not be a bad idea…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In her hotel room, Sam shed her slept-in clothing, wondering vaguely if anybody had noticed how wrinkled her dress was. In fact, though she never knew this, more folks were interested in how her face looked than in what she was wearing. And nobody asked what she was doing with Adam at that time of the morning because they were more interested in Gretchen's trip to Denver. The word of the trip had spread like wildfire.

Sam rushed to wash up, put on fresh clothing, and then sped toward Doc Martin's office. She found him sitting in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk. He smiled at her as she entered the office, a little out of breath.

"I'm sorry I'm so late…"

Doc Martin waved his hand. "Hoss came by here earlier and told me what happened after we all had left. I trust you slept well?"

Guiltily, Sam answered, "Like a log."

Rising, Doc Martin took a look at Sam's face. She flinched as his expert fingers probed the bruised cheek. "Nothing broken. You'll live." Then he sat down again.

"Drucilla told me that Gretchen's going to the hospital in Denver. Is that true?" Sam asked.

Doc Martin nodded. "She's overwrought and not thinking clearly. I suggested to the Werners that they take her there where she could get the help she needed. I know that you are a specialist, but she would never open up to you. You understand, I am sure."

"Certainly, I understand," Sam answered. "I know about the hospital in Denver. It's a good place with wonderful people. You were right to suggest that she go there." She paused. "I had a talk with Adam. He overheard a conversation I had with Gretchen, begging me to keep my mouth shut about her…indiscretion. I explained to him my reasons for not telling him myself. I think he understands."

"Adam's a thinker. I believe you underestimate him sometimes," Doc said as he headed for the door. "I'm going to lunch now. I'll bring you back something to eat. You're okay to hold down the office?"

Sam smiled. "I'm fine. Enjoy your lunch."

Sam felt like playing something on her guitar. But it was missing from its corner, and she realized that it must still be at the Ponderosa. She decided that retrieving it would be a good excuse to visit the Cartwrights again. In the meantime, studying some of Doc's medical books couldn't hurt. When the doctor returned from lunch, Sam continued to read. The day passed quickly.

When Doc closed the office, Sam put the book back and headed toward the livery stable. She had completely forgotten about Fancy! But, arriving at the stable, she found the mare chewing contentedly on fresh hay. Her water bucket was full and she had been brushed until her mane and tail looked like silk. Hearing Jess in one of the back stalls, Sam walked around to him to thank him for taking such good of her horse.

"Don't thank me," Jess said. "Adam's been here twice today to take care of her."

Sam smiled. "How thoughtful of him." Adam was fast making a place in her heart.

Too tired to ride tonight, Sam ate a hasty meal at the restaurant, ignoring not-so-subtle looks from other people, and then returned to her room. She made the decision to take a bath early in the morning after riding Fancy. Right now, she wanted to sleep. And she dreamed happily about waltzing with Adam.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Today was Sunday, almost a week since the party. The bruise on Sam's cheek had turned a ghastly light yellow but could be mostly covered up by a light application of powder. And Sam, though she wanted to stay in bed just a little longer, got up, got dressed and headed toward the church.

She felt an arm at her elbow and looked up into Ben's smiling face. "Come sit with us," he said. Hoss and Joe fell in step behind the two.

"Where's Adam?" Sam asked.

Ben answered gently. "He's in Denver. He got a wire from Friedhelm Werner asking him to come to the hospital."

All Sam could say was, "Oh. I'm sure that's a good thing." But she didn't mean it. And she had no idea what the Sunday sermon was about. All she could think of was that Adam had gone to visit Gretchen.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This was haying season, and men worked from dawn to dusk as they gathered the hay in piles to let it dry and then began the laborious process of loading it into wagons to be put in barns as winter fodder. Wives saw little of their husbands, men left girlfriends to lend a hand, and Sam hadn't seen the Cartwrights in a very long time.

Drucilla, looking quite fit and having lost an incredible amount of weight, stopped in to say hello to Sam. Doc Martin, making up an excuse, scuttled out the door as Drucilla sat down. And that's how Sam learned that Adam was back – had been back for quite a while.

With a heavy heart, but trying to put on her best smile, Sam listened to Drucilla drone on and on. Drucilla was delighted that her back no longer hurt and that the swelling in her legs had all but disappeared. Sam made an adjustment in the woman's "medication," praised her for taking the pills as prescribed and then was delighted when Drucilla left the office.

Sam wondered about Adam. He hadn't been to see her. But she hadn't seen _any_ of the Cartwrights lately either. Maybe they were involved in the haying.

The door banged open and Doc Martin hurried in and grabbed his medical bag, several bottles of pills, and talked in a rush to Sam. "Sarah Miller's having her baby. Her first. It's breech. You know what that means. I'll be back when I can."

"I'll go with you," Sam said as she reached for her medical bag.

"No," came the answer. "Somebody needs to stay here. I don't know when I'll be back. Say a prayer for Sarah and the baby." And Doc was gone in a flash.

An hour later, as Sam kept busy putting clean sheets on the examination table, she heard the door bang open and then heard heavy footsteps.

"Doc!" rang out a familiar voice.

Rushing into the outer office, there was Adam, carrying Ted Dodd. Wrapped around Ted's leg was a large make-shift bandage, soaked with blood. Ted's face was ashen.

"Quick, Adam! Bring him back here and put him on the table."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Got cut by a scythe. Down to the bone from what I can tell. Where's Doc?"

"At the Miller house. Sarah's baby is coming and it's breech. He can't leave her."

Grabbing a pair of scissors, Sam began cutting Ted's trousers up to the bandage. For all she knew, the bandage might be the only thing holding Ted's leg onto his body.

"Please," Ted moaned, "don't cut off my leg."

"Nonsense, Ted. I don't cut off a man's legs," Sam answered, but she feared the worst. She needed Doc Martin – but so did Sarah. Ted was helpful – he immediately fell into unconsciousness.

Slowly, Sam cut the bandage and was elated to see that there were two bandages – one over the wound and a tighter one above it. "Somebody was smart in applying a tourniquet. How long has it been on there?"

"About twenty minutes." Adam's face was grim. "I got here as fast as I could. It's just good luck that I was at Ted's to begin with. I had to talk to him before coming to town.""

"Your getting him here so quickly gives me a little more time. Light that lamp and bring it here closer so I can see what I'm doing."

Quickly, Sam plopped instruments into a bowl and then poured alcohol over them and over her hands. Soaking towels with water from a pitcher, she hurriedly cleaned around the wound and then into the wound itself. Much relieved, she saw that the leg was not even close to being severed, but the wound was long and had cut deep into the muscle.

Sam looked into Adam's eyes. "I need to loosen the tourniquet to see if a major blood vessel has been cut."

"And if it has?"

"I've never done an amputation before. All I'll be able to do is to tie the tourniquet tighter and Ted's leg will begin to die."

Holding her breath, Sam loosened the top bandage and then removed it. She sighed with relief when only a small amount of blood seeped out.

"That's good. How that scythe managed to make a wound like this without severing a major blood vessel is a miracle. Wash your hands in that alcohol over there; I'll need you to assist me. We have to work quickly to get blood back into that lower leg."

Adam gawked at her. He was no novice when it came to fixing up wounds, both animal and human, but he had never worked on a something like _this_.

"Just _do it_ , Adam!"

Ted's friend, Allen, came through the door, saw the blood, and promptly fainted.

"Leave him there, Adam. Maybe he'll be quiet until we finish this."

Following each of Sam's instructions to the letter, Adam managed to help get Ted's wound cleaned out and sewn up. It was a messy business. Allen, who was regaining consciousness, was instructed by Adam to go back and let everybody know that Ted was fine but wouldn't be doing any haying for quite a while.

Sam finished the last stitch and then added a pressure dressing. Sweat was running down her face; Adam noticed that she was now trembling. He discovered that he was a little unsettled too.

"You did a fine job," Adam said. "I'm proud of you."

Sam gave a wan smile and teetered on her feet. And suddenly, Adam's strong arms were around her. She felt him tremble and thought it was just the aftermath of what the two of them had gone through – an adrenalin drop. She looked up at him, sweat dripping off her nose. They washed their hands in silence.

"You are a most remarkable woman," Adam said abruptly. And then he kissed her. A kiss that felt natural. A kiss that felt right. It wasn't a passionate kiss and it wasn't just a peck on the lips – it was somewhere in between. Adam held her so tight that she couldn't tell if it was _her_ heart pounding or if it was _Adam's_. He kept his arms around her for several minutes, neither of them speaking.

Then Ted woke up and interrupted the embrace. Bleary-eyed, he caught a glimpse of Sam in Adam's arms and then remembered what he was doing in the doctor's office to begin with. "My leg!" he shouted.

"Your leg is fine," Sam answered, leaving the comfort of Adam's arms. "You've got more stitches than the finest dresses in Paris, but you'll be just fine. But I want to let Doc Martin take a look at you before you go home. So just lie still, and I'll give you some powders for pain relief."

As Sam went into the outer office, she heard Ted say something strange to Adam. "Adam, you saved my life. About Gretchen…I'm so sorry. It just happened."

Sam heard the sound of Adam's voice but couldn't hear the words. She wondered what Ted meant. She would soon find out.


	7. Chapter 7

Sam kept a close eye on Ted as his eyes began to close.

"I feel so sleepy," he muttered.

"Has the pain stopped?" Sam asked. She didn't want to give him too much laudanum but she didn't want to give him too little either.

"No pain. Just so sleepy," came the answer.

"Close your eyes, Ted. Sleep will be good for you."

The last thing Ted said before he fell asleep was, "Forgive me, Adam."

Sam turned and looked at Adam. His expression was unreadable. Taking Sam's arm, he propelled her into the outer office. "I had hoped to put off this conversation until a more appropriate time but it can't wait. Allen has informed everybody that Ted's okay, so nobody will worry about him. I don't reckon anyone will worry about _me_ either. Sit down, Sam. I have a lot to say and I'd appreciate it if you would just listen until I'm finished."

Sam plopped into a chair. She was afraid.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam paced the floor, rubbing the dark stubble on his chin. Refusing to sit down, he leaned against Doc Martin's desk, took a deep breath and began to speak.

"After the 'incident' at the party, I knew that my relationship with Gretchen was over and done. But I received a wire from Mr. Werner, begging me to come to Denver. I didn't want to go, but the wire seemed urgent. I went to Denver and spent a week there with Gretchen and with her family. At first, Gretchen begged me not to leave her. She was hysterical for two days and I had a really hard time talking to her. When she finally calmed down, thanks to whatever pills the doctor was giving her, we talked. Sometimes with her family present, sometimes just the two of us. I started at the very beginning, when I lost my memory. I started with your arrival at the Ponderosa and kept talking until the time you left. I told her how I felt about that. How hurt I had been. How she came along at just the right time – when I was vulnerable. How gentle and kind she had been when we were together. I had heard rumors that she might be seeing other men, but I chose to close my ears and my mind to what I thought was idle gossip."

Sam kept her mouth shut. She had so many questions to ask but this was a time to be quiet. Adam was struggling to speak.

"She was very sick one day, and nobody would let me see her. I couldn't find out anything. The next two days, I listened to Gretchen and we finally talked things out. She's mortified at how she acted at the barbecue and she wanted for me to beg your forgiveness. She still wanted to have me in her future, and it was very difficult for me to tell her that we didn't have a future together. She promised to change – to be the woman she thought that I deserve – but we finally agreed that it was just too late. We broke things off – amicably, for the most part."

Adam poured a glass of water. His mouth was dry. Now he sat down in a chair and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Sam, Gretchen was pregnant. On the day that she was so sick, she suffered a miscarriage. I know this is true because both the doctor and the Werners told me on my last day in Denver. It was the same day that Gretchen and I talked and decided there was no future for us. I didn't know she had been pregnant – I guess that was her last hope of holding on to me. But I have to give her this: She admitted that she didn't know for sure if I was the father. She told me only that a possibility was a guy I know. And, from listening to Ted, I think that's who she was referring to. And, I suppose, there could be other possibilities…" Adam's gaze was intense.

For all her medical training, for her specialized training, Sam found herself speechless. After a long silence, Sam weighed her words carefully. "Adam, you didn't have to tell me all this. I can only imagine how difficult this is for you. You told me that I was a 'remarkable' woman. I find you to be a most remarkable man. All you had to tell me was that things were over between you and Gretchen, and yet you chose to tell me the whole story. I won't lie to you and say that I'm not unhappy about the possibility that you might have been the baby's father, but I'm not surprised either. I'm not some naïve young girl who believes that every person in the world is celibate. The news of the miscarriage and the death of your relationship with Gretchen, all falling at the same time, must have been devastating. I am truly sorry for your loss."

Adam stood up and looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. "I think I should go now," he said. "I'm suddenly very tired, and there are some important things I need to concentrate on. Thank you, Sam, for listening to me and for not judging me."

Sam stayed seated. Her mind was whirling. "Be safe on the way home, Adam."

With that, Adam left. Sam stared at the closed door. She wondered where things would go from here.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At least twice a week, Adam would ride into town and visit Sam. Sometimes they would have lunch or supper together, sometimes they would just enjoy a ride outside of town. Adam could feel that Sam was a bit distant, and he was wise to not push her. But that didn't stop him from touching her shoulder or hand or even twirling one of her errant brunette curls. Only once did he try to kiss her on the cheek, and he had been aware that her body stiffened. He never tried that again. For now, he would settle for being "friends." Which seemed to work for _Sam_. She was much more relaxed in his presence and could talk a blue streak about things she'd seen or done or read. They would discuss books and poetry at length and intensely, sometimes agreeing on the way things were written and sometimes disagreeing. But Sam never showed any signs of anger.

Adam had told only one other person the truth about Gretchen. And that was Ben. He listened as intently as Sam had listened and, when the talking was done, Ben was both sympathetic and understanding. Adam was a grown man – what he did in private was his own business, and Ben was wise to be non-judgmental.

Adam had also discussed his feelings about Sam.

"Do you love her, Adam?" Ben had asked.

"I'm not sure. I _think_ I do. I _do_ know that I want her in my life. She's very special, Pa. She's a joy to be around, and she's very smart – not just about medical things but about life experience in general. We share a lot of the same interests. But I can't seem to break through to her that I'd like to be more than just a friend."

Ben thought about this. "Perhaps she feels that you might be jumping from one woman to another. It happened with Gretchen and she may fear you're turning to her on a rebound situation. Just give her time, son. Women are mysterious creatures, and men often have to wait to see just which way they'll make up their minds."

Adam sighed and looked around. He decided that he needed music to relax him. That was when he noticed that Sam's guitar had been placed, by the match-making Hop Sing, right next to Adam's guitar. They looked so right next to each other. Picking up Sam's guitar, Adam went out on the front porch in the cool night air and began to strum softly, humming tunes that he and Sam had sung together on a night that seemed a lifetime ago.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The relationship began to change for the better quite by accident. Literally. Because the nights had grown quite cold, Adam and Sam had decided to take a late afternoon ride and to return before the sun began to set. Both of them wore only light-weight jackets which they left unbuttoned.

Every time they rode together, Adam took Sam to a different scenic place – and this ride was no exception. They rode, relaxed and engaged in friendly conversation. The place where Adam stopped was on a ridge overlooking a small canyon. The red sun had changed the colors of the rocks so that the sides of the canyon looked like they were painted by hand. The view was breathtaking!

Dismounting, Adam tied Sport to a tree and spoke as he walked over to help Sam dismount. Sam always got out of her saddle by swinging her right leg behind her. But this time, she was eager to stand and watch the changing colors of the canyon as the sun began to set. For the first time, she swung her right leg in front of her, over Fancy's neck. As Adam reached to help her down, Sam's pant leg got caught in the saddle horn, she lost her balance and fell into Adam's arms, knocking him to the ground. He hadn't let go of her waist, so he pulled her with him, and she promptly landed on top of him, pinning him to the ground.

"Are you groping me?" he asked, the wind slightly knocked out of him.

Sam replied in almost the same words that Adam had said to her a long time ago. "Mister, if I was groping you, you'd _know_ it!"

"Uh, Sam?" Adam wheezed.

"What?"

"I can't catch my breath. If you're not gonna grope me, would you mind getting off my chest? Besides, one of your jacket buttons is poking into me."

"Adam, I hate to inform you, but that's not a jacket button. I'm either cold or happy to see you."

Sam's laugh started as a giggle and then bubbled out in uncontrollable laughter. As she and Adam got into a standing position, she threw her arms around the man and clung tightly to him, still laughing. Her laughter was contagious. The situation hit them both as being hilarious. The canyon and its beautiful colors were forgotten.

Finally, their laughter began to subside. Adam kissed the top of Sam's head and she tilted her face to look up at him. Then she did the strangest thing. She kissed _him_ – right on the mouth. And that kiss didn't fall under the category of "friendly" and they both knew it.

As Adam put his arm around her shoulders, he whispered in her ear, "I hope you were glad to see me."

" _Adam_!" Sam said, blushing slightly, letting her arms fall at her sides.

He wiggled his eyebrows at her; his mouth turned into an impish grin.

Sam slipped an arm around Adam's back, and they stood together and watched as the sun went down. Both their hearts told them that something had changed – for the _better_.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Not only Ben, but Hoss and Little Joe as well, noticed a change in Adam. He seemed truly happy for the first time in a long time. He still picked on his younger brothers but he had lost much of his sarcasm; he was teased unmercifully by his siblings about how a woman can change a man, and Adam would just smile. "Wait til it happens to you two," he would say.

Ben had cautioned both Hoss and Joe to be careful not to use the words "love" or "in love" when referring to Sam and Adam. Ben, seeing this romance as being in a delicate stage, wanted to make sure that Adam wouldn't be forced into the opposite direction by being constantly bombarded about the feelings in his heart.

As for Sam, Doc Martin had noticed a change in her as well. Her lips seemed perpetually turned upward into a smile, whether it was raining or whether the sun was shining. She was still sassy and outspoken, but the cutting edges of her comments were tempered with gentleness. There was softness about her that Doc had never seen before; it suited her.

Sam's fluent Chinese and fairly fluent Spanish were of tremendous help to Doc Martin. His patient load increased so dramatically that he had hopes of building a small hospital; one examination room just wasn't enough any more. And now, except for surgical cases and difficult births, there was a division of labor. Women were more likely to talk with Sam than with Doc; men patients, though they liked and trusted Sam, were more comfortable with a man. Sam and Doc had their hands full.

Sam was a frequent guest at the Ponderosa – and a welcome one. Hoss and Joe adored her, and Ben loved her like a daughter. He smiled to himself as he caught Sam and Adam holding hands or touching each other's arms or just looking into each other's eyes. Sam had re-acquired her guitar but chose to leave it at the Ponderosa for safe-keeping. Adam and Sam, on the ever-colder Fall evenings, often launched into strumming their guitars and leading the rest of the family in song.

Many times, Sam and Adam would bundle up in warm coats and would walk outside. Though they held hands or strolled arm-in-arm, their kisses were unhurried and bordered just shy of passion. Neither felt the necessity to rush things.

Adam continued to make his trips to town on an almost-daily basis. There were lunches and early suppers, smiles and laughter, that didn't go unnoticed by Drucilla, Thelma and Henrietta.

"They're going to get married," Thelma would cackle.

"Well, I wish they'd hurry up and do just _that_!" Drucilla replied impatiently.

"I've already started making a dress for the wedding," Henrietta added. "It'll be the talk of the town, you know."

Everything seemed idyllic.


	8. Chapter 8

Adam was smiling as he poked his head into Doc's outer office. Sam was gnawing on the inside of her cheek, as she usually did when she was deep in thought, and she was reading a letter. Adam's smile faded.

"Anything wrong, Sam?"

Sam sighed. "I've been so busy, I had forgotten about the seminar in St. Louis. I have to be there to keep my credentials current. The dumb seminar lasts a full week, and I don't want to go. I'm usually bored out of my mind. But every now and then something interesting pops up…"

Adam leaned against the desk, close to Sam and read the letter and then looked at the postmark on it. It had been mailed two weeks ago.

"According to this, you have to leave in three days if you plan to get there in time. We can't count on getting mail in a timely fashion yet, though when the Truckee Railroad gets finished, things will improve."

"What a boring trip," Sam said and then her face brightened. "Adam, can you go with me? We wouldn't be able to spend the days together, but we'd have plenty of time at night!" Sam eyes looked absolutely impish.

Adam tugged playfully at Sam's hair. "Are you propositioning me? Planning to lead me astray maybe?"

Sam reached up and pulled out several of Adam's chest hairs.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"For that devilish look in your eyes," Sam snorted and then got back to the original question. "Do you think you could go with me?"

Adam shook his head. "I wish I could go with you. There's nothing I'd like better, but a bunch of us are getting together to take care of the haying for the Werners. They've been so good to everybody here when the chips were down and it's time we lent them a hand while they're in Denver."

Sam sighed. "Well, it was a just a thought. But I understand."

Adam knew Sam's mannerisms well. And she was still gnawing on the inside of her cheek. "What else is bothering you? Spit it out."

Sam was blunt. "Robert undoubtedly will be there."

Adam sucked in a lungful of air. "Is that why you want me to go with you? Do you not trust yourself with him?"

Sam turned the full brunt of her green eyes on Adam. The last time he had seen her eyes that green was the evening when Sam had slapped Gretchen.

"I don't deserve a comment like that, Adam, and you know it! Robert and I are friends. Period. No more, no less. I asked you to go with me because I thought it would be fun for both of us. I don't need a watchdog. I'm not Gretchen. You just have to trust me."

"I know you're not Gretchen. Not _anything_ like her. If I insinuated that I don't trust you, then I apologize."

But he was telling a white lie. He knew it and he could tell that Sam knew it too. He couldn't help but be unsettled by the thought of Sam spending a whole week with Robert. Jealousy tugged at his heart. Abruptly, he said, "Well, I have to go out to the Werner ranch. There's lots of work to be done."

There was an awkward silence.

"Will you be there when I leave on the stage? I'd like to see you before I leave…"

Adam's face softened. "Have you already got your ticket? What time does the stage leave?"

"Around noon," Sam answered.

"I'll be there. Count on it."

As a patient came in through the door, Adam turned and walked out.

Sam's heart was heavy. She had been honest, and that was the best she could do.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The hay was now safely in the Werner's barn which was a good thing. Winter seemed to be coming in early – clouds hung in the sky and the temperature was plummeting. Adam had truly been working hard and hadn't seen Sam at all in the last two days. But today was the day that Sam was to leave, and nothing could keep Adam from being at the stage depot.

He had thought a lot about what Sam had said and knew that she should not be penalized because of what Gretchen had done to him. Sam could have lied if she'd wanted to but chose to tell the truth. He had no reason to mistrust her. He urged Sport into a gallop and reached town with time to spare. He opened the door to the waiting area of the stage depot and couldn't wipe the smile off his face when he saw Sam. And Sam's face lit up when she saw Adam. Sitting next to her and unbuttoning his coat in the warm room, pieces of hay dropped to the floor.

Sam picked up a piece of hay out of his hat and tickled his face with it, wrinkling her nose as she laughed. "Did you get the hay put away in time?" she asked.

"Just finished," he answered as he snatched the hay away from her. "I gave Sport some good exercise getting here. I didn't want to be late."

"I was afraid you wouldn't come." Sam bowed her head.

"Nothing could've stopped me from being here. Don't you know that?" He kissed her on the tip of her nose.

"I really don't want to go, Adam."

"I wish you could stay." Then, "I'm sorry for the way I acted the other day. Sorry for what I said. Sorry for the way I thought. I had to tell you that."

"Thank you for that, Adam. That means more to me than you know." Sam slipped her arm through his.

The door opened and two more travelers walked in. One was Debbie Strom and the other was Celeste, her twenty-year old daughter. Adam and Sam greeted them and carried on small talk until they all heard the sounds of the stage pulling up.

Debbie and Celeste had already walked outside and Adam was reaching for Sam's luggage when he heard Sam say, "Uh-oh. Look who's back."

Adam peered out the small window. Disembarking from the stage and collecting their luggage were Mr. and Mrs. Werner. And Gretchen. And waiting for them in the Werner buggy was Ted.

"That's odd," Adam thought aloud. "Ted drove the hay wagon yesterday. He still can't walk well but he offered to handle the horses. He never mentioned anything about the Werners' coming back."

Now it was Sam's turn to worry. She'd be gone for a whole week. She believed that she could trust Adam – but how would he react with Gretchen back in town?

Adam buttoned the top of Sam's coat and saw her chewing on the inside of her cheek.

"Everything will be just fine. Trust me."

The two walked outside and Adam handed Sam's luggage to the stage driver. Adam looked at Ted curiously, but Ted looked away. Friedhelm was helping Ilsa into the buggy when Gretchen turned and approached Sam and Adam.

"Hello, Dr. Nielsen," Gretchen said. "Are you leaving town?"

"I'm taking a short trip. I'll be back soon," came Sam's answer. She gave as little information as she could.

Gretchen looked up at Adam and said, "Hello, Adam. Are you getting on the stage too?"

Adam simply shook his head. "No. I'm sure that Ted will tell your parents that the hay is in the barn. We got it dried and safely put away in the nick of time."

"How kind of you to do that," Gretchen said. "I know how much that'll mean to my parents."

Gretchen turned and walked toward the waiting buggy, leaving Adam and Sam to look at each other.

"Come back to me, Sam," Adam whispered as he put his arms around Sam.

"Be here for me when I get back," Sam answered, putting her arms around Adam.

Sam climbed into the stagecoach and leaned her head out the window. Adam had time to give her one quick kiss before the horses pulled away onto the road.

Neither Sam nor Adam saw Gretchen's face. She had a most unusual smile on her face.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In St. Louis, Sam was bored spitless with most of the seminars. As a matter of fact, if she hadn't been nudged by her old friend Cynthia, she would have slept through one in its entirety! But the breaks for lunch and then the evening suppers gave her the opportunity to rekindle old friendships with some of the now-physicians who were in her graduating class. Robert was constantly present, but so were a lot of other men.

The only problem with Robert occurred one evening when supper was over, a particularly interesting seminar on hereditary mental problems had been discussed, and the group disbanded. Robert, who had drunk a wee bit too much, followed Sam as she headed back to her hotel. "Wait," he called. "I wanna talk with you!"

Sam turned around and waited. She was cold and had been looking forward to the warmth of the wood-burning stoves in the hotel. Robert was staying at a different hotel which was located in the opposite direction.

"I still love you, you know," Robert said as he tried to reach for Sam's hand.

"Robert, we've been over this and over this. We both decided that there was no future in our relationship. Just let it go."

Robert could see that trying to hold Sam's hand wasn't going to work, so he latched on to her heavy coat instead, almost knocking Sam off her feet as she tried to turn away.

"Don't you think we could try again?" Robert begged.

" _No_! The time we had together was very precious to me, but I've moved on. I have a life in Virginia City and I don't want to leave there. Now let go of my coat. I'm cold and I want to go to my room!"

Instead of letting go, Robert tightened his grip. Even through her heavy coat, Sam could feel Robert's iron grip. Clumsily, he turned her around and tried to put his other arm around her.

"Robert," growled Sam, her green eyes smoldering, "if you ever want to become a father, I suggest you let go of me. And I mean right _now_!"

Robert looked down and saw how close Sam's knee was to his groin. He knew her well enough to realize that she wouldn't hesitate to jam her knee into him. He let go of her and backed away a safe distance. "I hope your latest love is half the man that I am!" he said angrily.

"Robert, he's at least _twice_ the man that you are!" Sam spun around and hurriedly made her way to the hotel and its warmth.

Later, alone in her room, Sam thought about Adam. Again. She missed him terribly. And she also wondered what was happening now that Gretchen was back in town.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In Virginia City, people were talking about the changes in Gretchen. She had toned down her way of dressing; she had friendly conversations with people she had been snobbish to previously; her smiles were genuine. The negative gossip that had started upon her arrival home was quickly changing to more positive remarks.

Snow had come early and unexpectedly when Adam stopped in to visit Doc Martin. Except for the doctor's presence, the office was empty. Adam entered the office, closing the door firmly behind him. The heat from the wood stove was welcome, and Adam stood close to it and rubbed his hands together. "No patients to see today?" Adam asked conversationally.

"Nary a one," Doc answered. "Not good financially but I'm glad nobody's ill. I don't relish the thought of making house calls in this freezing weather."

"Can I talk you into going down the street for some lunch?" Adam asked. Somehow he felt not so out-of-touch with Sam when he was in Doc's office.

Doc Martin sprang to his feet. "Hot food! How about the restaurant – it's right across the street. Maybe we won't freeze to death before we get there."

Adam laughed. The two men bundled up, put their heads into the wind, and practically sprinted across the street. As they took their seats at a table, Doc wiggled his eyebrows. "I guess nothing can make those women stay at home." He gently jerked his chin to his right side. Adam looked in that direction and saw Drucilla, Thelma and Henrietta. Both Adam and Doc smiled at them and received smiles and waves of hands in return.

"You know, Adam," Doc began, "they're good women at heart. But sometimes I have this strong desire to sew their lips shut."

Adam laughed out loud, an action which caused Thelma to begin wondering aloud. "He looks happy. Sam is out of town, and Gretchen comes to town quite frequently. You don't suppose…"

Right at that moment, Gretchen walked into the restaurant. She smiled at the three women and made a beeline towards Adam and Doc. When she reached their table, the two men rose to their feet. And Gretchen was obviously invited to sit down because Doc pulled a chair out and saw that she was seated. Adam was smiling.

The gossipy triumvirate put their heads together and whispered among themselves.

Gretchen looked at Adam and laughed. "I think I've caused quite a stir. Mama's doing some shopping, but I was hungry and opted to come in here. If either of you is uncomfortable, I'll go to a different table."

Doc Martin spoke, "Gretchen, you sit right where you are. There's so little going on in town due to the weather that somebody needs to have something to talk about."

Gretchen smiled and her blue eyes twinkled. "Is it all right with you, Adam?"

"Of course," came the answer. He didn't know what else to say.

Orders were placed and soon the food was served. Gretchen ate daintily while Doc and Adam carried on most of the conversation.

Drucilla, with her bat ears, could hear most of the conversation. She passed on what she could hear. "Adam and Doc Martin are talking about the weather mostly. When Gretchen speaks, it's just small talk." All three women were disappointed.

Doc Martin's keen senses told him that Gretchen had something on her mind. And it had nothing to do with him. So, after finishing his meal, he excused himself and headed back to his office. This left Adam and Gretchen alone at the table.

Henrietta decided that she and her friends needed another cup of coffee and perhaps a sweet roll for dessert. All three women kept their eyes and ears open.

Gretchen put her hand on Adam's arm. "I know that I'm making you uncomfortable," she began. "But I want you to know that I've changed."

Adam shifted position and moved his arm. Gretchen was up to something and curiosity got the best of him.

Gretchen leaned across the table and made sure to keep her voice low. "What will it take for you to forgive me? I made some bad choices – big mistakes – but I won't let anything happen again. I want for us to have another chance, Adam. I miss you and want you back in my life."

Adam leaned forward and kept his voice low also. "Gretchen, what I thought we had wasn't real. I don't want to try again. I've moved on with my life, and you need to move on with yours. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of business to attend to."

Drucilla strained to listen but could hear nothing. She and her friends were bitterly disappointed.

Adam left the restaurant. Almost immediately, Gretchen left also.

"What was that all about?" Thelma asked.

"I wish I knew," Drucilla answered.

Adam _did_ have errands to run and barely got back to the Ponderosa before the snow began falling in earnest. He was upset by the things Gretchen had to say, and he missed Sam now, more than ever.

Doc Martin returned to his office and put more wood in the stove. Something caught his eye and he looked twice before investigating. Sam's guitar was broken to smithereens.

At the Werner house, Ilsa had her arms around her sobbing daughter. "Adam doesn't want me, Mama," Gretchen wailed. "I'm different now. Why can't he just let me show him? I humiliated myself by asking him to try again."

Ilsa spoke soothingly to her only child. Friedhelm stood by helplessly, knowing that his daughter's heart was broken and there was nothing he could do or say to make her pain go away.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sam was irritable. So close and yet so far. She walked outside of the way station, the last station until the stop at Virginia City, and kicked at a drift of snow. "Haven't you made your minds up yet?" she asked Delmas, one of the stage drivers.

"Doctor Nielsen, look at that sky yonder. Them clouds is trying they best to build up into a big storm. Mebbe rain or sleet. Mebbe snow."

Sam looked to the west and saw the clouds off in the distance. She had to admit that they _did_ look rather threatening – but they were a long way off. She said so to Delmas. The other driver, Jake, shook his head. "It's chancy. Might blow another way. Might not."

Sam looked up at the bright, clear morning sky. It was cold outside – very cold. But, as far as she knew, cold weather had never stopped a stagecoach. "Please," she begged Delmas and Jake. "Please get me to Virginia City. I'm the only passenger and all I have is one piece of luggage. I just have to get home."

Delmas looked at her, looked at the sky again, and made a decision. "I think we'll be okay. I'll drive those hosses hard as I kin. The only thing worrisome is that the road might be covered in ice in places. That ole stagecoach might go to swervin' or somethin' and joggle you around."

"I don't mind being joggled," Sam said gratefully. Quickly she went inside to get her luggage and then she stood outside impatiently waiting for the horses to be hitched up.

"I ain't goin'," Jake said. "I'm stayin' here where it's warm. There'll be another stage tomorrow. The sky is clear as a bell to the east." Delmas nodded. "See ya in Virginia City." He climbed into the driver's seat. Jake helped Sam into the stagecoach and made sure that the oilskin curtains were snugged down tight.

"Gonna be a cold ride," he said. "Take this with you." He threw in a red, moth-eaten blanket. But it was a good heavy blanket. And Sam would be warm enough. "Thank you, Jake," Sam said, giving the startled man a quick kiss on the cheek. The wagon lurched to a roll, skidded on a small patch of ice, and Sam slid down the seat, banging her elbow against the wood.  
"You okay?" Delmas shouted.

"I'm just fine," Sam answered, rubbing her elbow. Still, she had to smile. Adam would be waiting for her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam had parked the buggy, with its top securely fastened down to give protection against the wind, in the livery stable where it was warm. He strode quickly to the stage depot knowing that he had arrived in plenty of time. He already knew what stage Sam would be on because she had wired him from the last "town stop" farther east. Soon, the Truckee Railroad would be finished and stagecoaches would eventually be a thing of the past. Right now, they were a necessary evil. He looked at the cloudy sky. A blizzard had come through quickly the day before, dropping almost two feet of snow, and then had passed on to the east. He worried, wondering if the stagecoach would be held up if the bad weather continued in its current direction.  
He went into the stage depot and sat down to wait. The appointed time for the stage's arrival came and went. Still, he waited. Three hours and no stage. He headed for the telegraph office.

"Adam, the lines are down along the way to the east. Ain't nothin' comin' in til they get fixed. I imagine the bad weather is to blame." This from Freddy, the telegrapher.

Adam looked down the street. Very few horses were tied up outside the local businesses.

"Adam!" a voice called. Adam looked around and spotted Doc Martin.

"Come up here where it's warm! Drink some coffee with me!" Which is exactly what Adam did. Stomping the snow off his boots, he opened the door and could feel the welcome warmth from the wood-burning stove. Doc closed the door and shoved Adam in the direction of the stove. Adam quickly removed his gloves and wrapped his hands around the cup of coffee.

"Stage not in yet?" Doc asked.

"Nope. And the telegraph lines are dead to the east."

"I bet Sam is holed up in one of the way stations," Doc said, trying to be comforting. He could see the worry on Adam's face.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's what happened. But I won't leave town until Sam gets here. Even if there's no snow, the road will be icy."

"Well," Doc said, "sit down and rest yourself. I know you won't be going home. And I could use the company. I'm tired of talking to myself."

Adam had to grin. But the grin disappeared when he saw Sam's smashed guitar. "What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know, Adam. I found it like that when I came back from lunch with you the other day. The day that Gretchen sat and ate with us."

"How strange," Adam mused. "Was anything missing from the office?"

"Nope. I did a quick inventory and nothing was out of place. I don't usually lock the front door when I go eat. Guess I'll have to start doing that now."

"Sam's gonna be mad when she sees this." Adam imagined flashing green eyes, and a bit of a smile lit his face.

Adam ended up waiting for the stage all night.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The morning dawned bright, clear and cold. The cloudless sky was a welcome relief. Adam woke abruptly, stretched his cramped legs and looked around, spying Doc Martin with his head on his desk, snoring softly. Adam heard heavy footsteps on the boardwalk outside Doc's office and discovered that his father and brothers had come into town and were looking for him. "You sure are hard to find, son," Ben said as he looked at Adam's bleary eyes and unshaven face. "We've been to the stage depot and to every business that's open at this hour. Nobody knew where you were."

Doc Martin raised his head off his desk. "I guess we got bored with each other's company." He didn't like the look on Ben's face and was trying to lighten the conversation. It didn't help.

"Did I miss the stage?" Adam was on his feet immediately.

Hoss answered in his own gentle way. "Adam, the stage ain't come in yet. But don't worry. The storm prob'ly hit the last way station and the stage couldn't leave."

"Why don't we all go to the café and have some breakfast?" Joe suggested.

"I'm not hungry," Adam said, his voice tense.

"You can have a cup of coffee and we can watch for the stage from the window." Ben suggested.

"Good idea!" Doc Martin popped up and put on his coat.

And so it was that Adam got swept away to the café. But Doc Martin remembered to lock his door as they left.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In spite of himself, Adam _did_ eat some breakfast. He was on his second cup of coffee when he heard yelling in the street and the pounding of horses' hooves. "Finally!" he yelled, jumping out of his chair. But the words died on his lips. The horses were running by, all right, but there was no stagecoach behind them. The horses were running down the street to a place that was familiar to them – and that was the stage depot.

Adam reached the depot at a dead run with his family in close pursuit. Despite the cold air, the animals were lathered and spent, still hooked up to their traces which apparently had broken free from the stagecoach tongue. Adam shook his head in disbelief and fear. If the horses had broken free of the stage, then it must be out somewhere on the road. In the cold and snowdrifts. And who knew for how long? A shiver of fear ran up Adam's spine and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He headed for the livery stable and saddled the first horse he saw. He glanced at the buggy he had ridden in last night and felt a huge lump in his throat.

Ben headed for the telegraph office to see if he could find out anything. Hoss and Joe removed harnesses and traces from the backs of the tired horses and then led them into the barn. Groups of people – men mostly – began to gather and whisper among themselves.

Adam was halfway out of the stable when Ben grabbed the reins of the horse and stopped him.

"Pa, I've gotta go find her!"

"We're going with you," Ben said in his commanding voice.

"We'll be right behind you," shouted Ted, speaking for a whole group of men who nodded their heads in agreement.

"I'm commandeering your buggy," Doc Martin said as he pushed his way into the stable. "I might be needed."

As Ben climbed into his saddle, his deep voice could be heard all the way up and down the street. "We're taking the main road. Everybody else fan out. If you see anything, fire three shots and we'll find you!"

Adam was at the end of the street before any rider could even close the gap.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Following the trail of the horses which had been attached to the stagecoach was easy. But the snow along the sides of the road had blown into huge white drifts around rocks and trees and, to Adam, everything looked light it might have been an overturned stagecoach. At some points, his horse had to plow its way through chest-high snow so that Adam could investigate. The same held true with his family's situation – they couldn't take a chance of missing anything. Hours went by. Adam cursed himself for not going to St. Louis with Sam. He cursed the stagecoach driver. He cursed the telegraph lines. He cursed the snow and the hundreds of high snowdrifts.

When Adam heard the first gunshot, he reined his horse in so hard that the poor animal almost fell over backward. Then there was silence. Nobody spoke. A second gunshot echoed – and then a third.

"Which way? Which way?" Adam hollered. The sounds seemed to be coming from anywhere.

" _This_ way!" shouted Hoss as he urged Chub through a snow bank. "Those shots ain't far away."

Adam was well-aware of Hoss's outdoor instincts and didn't hesitate to follow his brother. Ben and Little Joe caught up to them quickly. Hoss's instincts were right. Adam silently blessed his brother as they reached a group of men standing beside the upside-down stagecoach. Friedhelm Werner was still holding up his gun until someone suggested that he put it down.  
Only one wheel of the stage was visible. Adam pushed his way through and began digging frantically to get to a window or a door. He was aware of Hoss and Joe next to him, and he could hear Ted's voice on the other side of the wreckage as he urged his group to dig faster.

" _Sam! Sam_!" Adam called. But there was no answer. Because the stagecoach was empty.

By now, the whole search party had gathered – on horseback, in buggies, in wagons. They stood in silence when they heard that nobody was aboard the stage.

"Maybe they got trapped under it," suggested Doc Martin.

And with the help of ropes and horses and brute strength, the vehicle was turned right-side up. One wheel fell of immediately and one door hung half-off its hinges. There was a big hole in one oilskin window. And there was one piece of luggage – Adam recognized it as Sam's. His shoulders sagged.

"There's no time to waste," Ben said, taking command. "We know that there had to be at least one driver – maybe two – and Dr. Sam. We'll spread out on foot. They can't be too far away. And the driver, or drivers, would know how to make a shelter."

Searching on foot was difficult because of the depth of the snow. And now they were hindered because they weren't looking for a large object. There were some who whispered that they were now looking for _bodies_.

Adam tried to think of what he would do if he had to find shelter under such conditions. His mind was so muddled that he had trouble thinking straight. So he turned to Hoss, the consummate outdoorsman, and asked his opinion. Hoss looked around the snow-covered landscape. "Well, first I'd look for a bunch of trees. They'd give some shelter. But, seein' as how there ain't no trees around here, I'd look for a cave in the side of a mountain or a big hill. Right here, the land is too flat for anythin' like that." Hoss squinted his eyes, deep in thought. "Rocks! _Big rocks_! That's what I'd look for. I could hide on the lee side of a big rock – that would make a good shelter from the wind and a whole bunch of snow too."

Adam thought Hoss's idea was a good one and, if Adam had been thinking straight, he probably would've come to the same conclusion.

"Hoss, spread the word to everybody to look behind anything and everything that even _looks_ like a rock!"

And Hoss spread the word. Soon, people were poking their noses behind anything that stuck up out of the snow. Adam stood alone for a moment and said a small prayer and then began the search anew.


	10. Chapter 10

Call it Fate, call it a prayer answered, call it what you will, but it was Adam who found Sam and Delmas. Adam was wet and chilled to the bone and so tired that he could hardly take another step when he saw a bright red patch of something sticking out of the snow behind a large rock several yards away. Wondering what could possibly be that bright at this time of year, he slogged through the snow to investigate. Oh, it's just a piece of an old blanket. But why would it be sticking out of the snow instead of being buried by it? Tugging at the material, he saw the tops of two heads – and one brunette head bore the familiar clasp that belonged to Sam!

Shouting at the top of his lungs, he began to dig around the top of the blanket, sharp ice crystals cutting through his gloves and into his fingers. Ben dropped onto his knees beside his eldest son and began pulling at the blanket as soon as Adam had cleared the snow. Two faces were revealed at the same time – Sam's face and the face of another man. Both had icicles in their hair and both of them had closed eyes. Blood had frozen on the cuts on their faces.

Adam could hear someone shouting, " _Sam! Sam! Don't you die on me, Sam_!" Vaguely he realized the voice was his own. But Sam gave no response.

Many hands began digging and then Adam was able to scoop Sam into his arms. Hoss picked up the other man and put him in a wagon bed where he was covered with dry blankets from head to toe. He had a badly-broken leg and let out a moan. He was alive. Adam was still kneeling, holding Sam close to him, trying to warm her half-frozen body. He wouldn't let her go until Doc Martin spoke in his sternest voice.

"Adam! Get up! Get in my carriage and let's get back to town! _Now_!"

Adam staggered to his feet, not taking his eyes from Sam's face. And suddenly her eyes opened. "Adam, I came back to you." Her eyes closed again. But she was alive!

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Are there blankets in this rig?" Doc asked Adam, his voice tense. If Doc had been driving his own buggy, there would have been blankets galore. He never knew when they might be needed while making house calls. But he had jumped into the buggy that Adam had brought and hadn't retrieved blankets from his own rig.

With Sam securely in his lap with his arms wrapped tightly around her, Adam shook his head. "Didn't bring any," he said tersely.

Friedhelm drove his wagon close. "I've got blankets if you need them," he called.

"I need as many as you can spare," Doc answered. "Is the other man well-covered?" Friedhelm handed over several blankets and answered. "Yes. I saw Ted covering him up."

Quickly, Doc Martin passed the blankets to Adam. "Wrap these around Sam and rub her as briskly as you can. And hang on."  
And Doc drove the horse forward with a lurch and didn't slow down until he reached his office. The wagon hauling the as-yet unknown man was slower in arriving.

A large crowd had gathered outside Doc's office – word had traveled fast. Doc jumped out of the buggy and began fumbling in his pocket for the key to his office, cursing himself for locking the door.

Adam refused to let go of Sam. Clumsily, he climbed out of the rig and waited impatiently while Doc, his hands cold, fiddled with the lock and the key. The door finally opened and Adam rushed to the back office, finally depositing Sam's limp body on the examination table.

"Adam, get some wood in that stove," Doc commanded as he began removing the blankets that Sam was wrapped in.  
But Adam didn't have to do anything. Drucilla and friends had arrived and, while Drucilla and Thelma threw wood into the stoves in the outer and inner offices, Henrietta had quickly put on water to boil. She had brought tea and honey, just in case it might be needed. Doc already had a supply of coffee, and she was getting it ready.

Without taking the time to shut the doors between the inner and outer offices, Doc was already pulling off Sam's wet clothes. Drucilla, with her sense of propriety, closed the door.

"Adam, you're soaked to the skin," Thelma said as the stove began to put out heat. "Stand here, close to the stove, and dry out. Coffee will be ready soon."

By the time Ben, Hoss and Joe arrived, it was obvious that things were being taken care of. Ben put his arm around Adam's shoulders and told him that they'd be in the restaurant across the street. Adam nodded.

Shouting through the closed door, Adam called to Doc. "Is she all right? Is she all right?"

"She _will be_ as soon as I can get her warmed up. So far, I see only superficial scratches."

"When can I see her?" Adam demanded impatiently.

Drucilla opened the door a slight bit. "Is the tea ready yet, Henrietta?" And a steaming cup was handed to her. Before the door closed again, Drucilla spoke kindly to Adam. "Just a few more minutes. Then you can come in."

By now, the wagon had arrived with the unknown man and, leaving Drucilla to tend to Sam, Doc emerged into the outer office. The man was still unconscious. As Doc took scissors to the man's britches, he knew he would need help setting the broken leg.

"What about Sam?" Adam demanded.

"Sam has no broken bones that I can see. Drucilla is keeping her warm and trying to spoon hot tea into her. But this man will lose the use of his leg if it's not set right away. I need your help, Adam, before he wakes up." Adam grabbed the man's arms and pulled in one direction while Doc pulled the broken leg in the other direction. The bone went back into place with a satisfying snap.

Turning to Thelma and Henrietta, Doc advised the two women to keep the stove hot, cover the man with dry blankets, and get some coffee into him – even if they had to spoon it in as Drucilla was doing with Sam. Doc disappeared into the back room.

Adam paced the floor and kept his eyes on the closed door as if he were trying to see through it. His mind kept replaying images of Sam – her hair frozen in places, her closed eyelids with snowflakes on her dark eyelashes, her pale face. He could still feel how cold her cheek was against his lips when he bent to kiss her, could still feel how limp her body was.  
Banging on the door, he shouted, "What in the hell is taking you so long!" Not bothering to wait for an answer, he opened the door and charged into the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Scattered around the floor were items of Sam's clothing, along with wet blankets, sitting in a melting pool of water. Drucilla was hurrying to clean up the sodden mess. And Doc Martin was just finishing putting another dry blanket over Sam's still body. "I was going to tell you that you could come in, but I see that you're already in," Doc said with a tiny trace of humor.

"How is she?" Adam whispered.

"She's shivering and that's a good sign. It means that her body is reversing the effects of being half-frozen." Adam walked over to Sam's side. "What does that mean?"

"When the human body gets too cold, it involuntarily starts the shivering process, trying to generate more heat. Sam lost way too much heat, and her body was too cold to shiver any more. Right now, every time she shakes, it means that her body is working correctly again. It's trying to warm her up. But we need to speed up the process by warming her more quickly. The blankets are helping and so is the hot tea. The honey in the tea will give her strength."

"She's so pale," Adam said as he touched her cheek.

"As she warms up, the color to her face will return." A bit of a smile played at Doc's lips. "If you would like to, you can pick her up and sit close to the stove. Rub her briskly but gently all over to help stimulate her circulation. Keep a blanket under her back and keep a blanket over her front to help retain body heat." And then Doc went out the door to check on the man with the broken leg.

Carefully, Adam slid his arms under the bottom blanket and lifted Sam into his arms. Drucilla had put a rocking chair next to the stove; she smiled as she watched how tender Adam was in carrying Sam and how careful he was when he sat down. She was truly touched.

"Be sure to rub her down," Drucilla said. "And spoon some of this tea into her." Then she left the room.

Sam was wrapped up rather like a mummy, and Adam began rubbing wherever his hands could touch on the top blanket. Legs, arms, neck, face, and oh-my-God, what was _that_ that I rubbed? He reached for the hot tea on the side of the stove. As he would've done with a child, he tasted it first to make sure it wasn't too hot. It was and he blew on it to cool it off. He had to contort himself slightly to use the spoon, but he managed. Carefully he wedged the spoon between Sam's lips and dribbled some liquid into her mouth. He watched to make sure that she swallowed. Another dribble. And another dribble. Then he rubbed her body some more.

"I'm so cold," Sam whispered, her teeth chattering. Her eyes were closed.

"Hush, love," Adam crooned. "I've got you. Can you feel my arms around you?

"Mmm."

Henrietta brought in a hot cup of coffee for Adam and refilled the cup of tea. "I think she looks better already, Adam."

"I hope so," Adam murmured as Henrietta left the room.

Ben came in. "Shall I take her for a while, son? You look so tired."

"No, Pa. I'm fine. But I can't reach her legs to rub them very well without dropping her head over the arm of the chair."  
Wordlessly, Ben knelt down and began rubbing Sam's blanketed legs. Father and son worked together in a companionable silence. Adam's arms ached and Ben's legs ached, but they continued with the process of rubbing, spoonfuls of tea, and then more rubbing.

Hoss and Little Joe peeked in, their faces softening at the sight. They backed away and closed the door just in time to turn around and face the Werner family. Gretchen said not a word – she appeared very frightened. Ilsa did the talking. "We just had to find out how Doctor Nielsen is!" she said breathlessly. "Is she all right? She's not dying, is she? Nobody knows anything, and if we can help…"

From a corner of the room, Doc Martin answered. "Doctor Nielsen is gonna be just fine. These things take time."

"What about the man with the broken leg? Is he all right too?" Friedhelm seldom spoke, but when he did, he got right to the point.

"His broken leg is set. Thank God that the cold kept the bleeding to a minimum. If it hadn't been for your finding the stagecoach, Friedhelm, we might never have found either of the two people. If you would be so kind, please tell the people outside to go home and stay warm. Their presence is appreciated, but there's nothing they can do here. And don't let me forget that I have blankets that belong to you."

"Ach!" Friedhelm said. "We have blankets at home. Keep them and put them to good use."

With that, the Werners left. Gretchen gave an odd backwards glance as she closed the door behind her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam felt Sam wiggling in his arms and looked into her face. Her eyes were open, and there was a bit of pink in her cheeks. She had long since stopped shivering; Ben had left the room and gone to run normal errands on a not-so-normal day.

"Adam?" she murmured. Her eyes weren't quite focused yet. "I had the strangest dream. I was looking for you and couldn't find you. And I was so cold."

"I'm right here," was Adam's reply. "Now drink some of this tea. It's got honey in it."

Putting the cup to her lips, Adam made sure she didn't drink too much and choke. Then he put the cup back down and gently rubbed her some more.

"Are you groping me?" Sam's voice was trailing away.

"Yes, love. I most certainly am."

"Good." And Sam's eyes closed as she fell asleep with a smile on her lips. She snuggled her head against Adam's chest.  
And Adam wept.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The stage driven by Jake arrived in the early evening. Upon discovering that Delmas had been in an accident, Jake hurried over to Doc Martin's office to check on his friend. And to check on that nice doctor-lady who had kissed him on the cheek. All he had done was to give her that old red blanket.

Delmas had awakened earlier, had spoken incoherently, and had then fallen asleep. He was snoring peacefully when Jake arrived and Doc Martin didn't want to wake him. But Jake explained what had transpired at the last way station and had confirmed the fact that there was one driver and one passenger.

"Delmas is a new driver on this route. I should've gone with him," Jake said ruefully. "Now his leg is broke and he'll be out of work for a while. He should've listened to me."

Little Joe walked in and recognized Jake as one of the regular drivers; Jake had to tell the story again. When he got to the part about giving the red blanket to "that nice doctor-lady," Doc spoke. "I think there's somebody who'd be very interested in hearing about this." And he led Jake into the back room where Adam continued to rock a precious package.

"Adam, I think you know Jake." Adam nodded. He wasn't in the mood to focus on anyone but Sam.

Jake spoke. "I gave that red blanket to your lady friend. I told her that it would keep her warm. I guess it helped a little." Jake looked at the sleeping Sam.

"It not only helped keep her warm," Adam said, "it was responsible for saving two lives. It was the bright red against the snow that caught my eye and made me investigate. I'd shake your hand, Jake, but I don't want to wake Sam. There's no way I can begin to thank you."

"Aw," Jake said. "The lady thanked me. She kissed me right here on my cheek."

"And the guy with the broken leg is Jake's friend, Delmas. He's new to this route. Only Delmas and Sam were on that stage. We won't have to worry about looking for anybody else." Doc looked relieved.

"That sure is a nice lady," Jake said as he turned to leave. "She was in a mighty big hurry to get here, so see that she's taken good care of."

Adam nodded. "Count on it!"

Jake left. The office was quiet again. Henrietta and Drucilla had gone home; Thelma stayed and kept both the coffee and tea hot. She sat quietly in a corner and her head began to nod.


	11. Chapter 11

Drucilla and Henrietta brought in plenty of food for Adam, Doc Martin, Thelma and the two patients and then quietly made their exit. Having seen that all was well, and having spoken to Adam who wouldn't leave Sam, Ben had gone back to the Ponderosa with Hoss and Little Joe.

And two important things happened.

The first important thing was that Delmas woke up. He ate a little supper and, at Doc Martin's urging, recalled the trip from the way station as best he could. The pain killers that Doc had given him for his leg made his mind a little fuzzy.

"Jake told me not to git on th' road. I shoulda knowed better. But that lady begged me, so I decided I could make it here if'n I hurried. There's one place back yonder a ways where I needed to make a sharp turn and I got to thinkin' that I oughta slow them horses down. I had 'em runnin' pretty hard. Skidded on some ice, I did. And next thing I knowed, I was in a bunch of rocks with a broke leg." Delmas stopped. "No, wait, there's somethin' else itchin' at my brain."

Delmas sipped his coffee slowly and rubbed his leg. "I did slow them horses down. Way before the turn. But somethin'….the horses took off…I lost my grip on the reins."

"Maybe you should just rest now, Delmas," Doc said.

"No! There's somethin' important." Delmas sighed in frustration. "Gunshots! Somebody was shootin' at me! One bullet hit the seat right next t' me! That's when them horses took off runnin' and the reins slipped outta my hands! The wheels hit that icy place in th' road and th' stage started swervin' and skiddin' ever whicha way. And them horses run blind, off the road. Th' wagon tongue broke and th' stage started t' tilt. I hollered at that lady t' jump and then I jumped. That's when I fell on them rocks." Delmas paused. His face looked drained. But he kept on talking.

"That lady got out – she told me there was a hole in th' oilskin – and I heered her callin' out t' me. Walked through th' snow, she did, with that red blanket around her, and she found me. And then she half-toted me to a big rock that I seen – I told her it would keep us outta th' wind. She wropped that red blanket 'round us and huddled up next t' me to keep warm. We were so cold and my leg hurt somethin' awful. And after a while, it didn't hurt no more. She said it was 'cause my leg was cold. I don't remember anythin' after that." Delmas looked completely exhausted. "Doc, did that doctor-lady die? She saved my life!"

"Doctor Nielsen is gonna be just fine. In fact, she's sleeping in the next room. Rest now. There'll be time to talk tomorrow."

Delmas closed his eyes and went to sleep. The pain killers were doing their job.

Doc Martin spoke quietly with Adam and told him what Delmas had said. Adam was astounded. "Somebody _deliberately_ shot at Delmas? We need to get Roy Coffee over here right now!"

Doc shook his head. "Delmas won't wake up until morning. He can talk to Roy then, when his mind is clearer. Maybe he'll remember something else important. Or maybe his mind is playing tricks on him right now. What we need to do is keep this to ourselves until we can discuss it with Roy. We don't want to tip our hand if Delmas is telling the truth."

Though he didn't want to, Adam had to agree with Doc Martin. "First thing in the morning, we'll get Roy over here."

Doc left the room. He wanted to keep an eye on Delmas, and he needed time to think.

The second important thing that happened began when Sam opened her eyes and was quite coherent. Adam had been holding her, rocking her, all day and into the night. His muscles were cramped and his arms ached; he had rubbed Sam's body so much that his hands hurt. But when he saw those green eyes looking at him, he forgot about his own discomfort.

Sam touched his cheek, ran her finger over the dark stubble. "You need to shave, Adam Cartwright."

Adam laughed. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"A few hours," Adam lied.

"In your lap?"

"Yep."

Sam abruptly sat up and, when she did, the blanket fell down to her waist. Adam got a good view of the curves of two breasts and the indentation of a narrow waist.

"Good God Almighty!" Sam shrieked, yanking the blanket back up to her neck. "I'm _naked_!"

Adam wiggled his eyebrows. "That'd be my guess."

Sam struggled to get out of Adam's lap, but weakness and getting tangled up in both front and back blankets proved to be a hindrance. Adam watched with amusement but was ready to catch her if she fell. The sudden rush of blood from her head to her lower body made her teeter on her feet, and Adam stood and picked her up.

"Just put me on the table," she said, "and turn your back."

Adam did as he was told. But he chuckled as he heard the rustle of blankets being arranged.

"Okay. You can turn around now." Sam had covered herself completely, even her face. "I'm not making one more move until I have some clothes!"

"You need to drink some hot tea with honey. And maybe eat a biscuit," Adam stated to the blanketed face.

"Not until I get some clothes!" came the muffled answer. "And I've got a room full of clothes at the hotel." Pulling the blanket down to just below her green eyes, Sam looked at Adam. His eyes were dancing but he managed to keep a straight face.

"Adam, would you _please_ go to my hotel room and get me something to wear? Just a shirt and some jeans. I can do without…anything else…for right now."

"And for this errand, what do I get in return?"

"You get to watch me drink tea and eat a biscuit."

Adam could hear the weariness in Sam's voice. This was not the time for playing games – even though Sam had started it, he intuited that she was putting on a brave face. He was right.

"Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't go anywhere."

As he limped painfully to the door, his muscles screaming at him for having sat too long, he heard muttering from under the blanket. It sounded much like Hop Sing's muttering in Chinese.

"She's awake?" Doc asked as Adam appeared.

"Yep. And she wants some clothes from the hotel. I'll be right back."

Rushing to the hotel, Adam got the key to Sam's room from the desk clerk. But when he got to Sam's room, he didn't need the key. The door was unlocked. Stepping into the room, Adam was shocked. Sam's clothes littered the floor from one wall to the other. Every drawer in the bureau had been pulled out and the contents dumped on the floor. Instinctively, Adam reached for his gun – then realized he wasn't wearing it. It was at Doc's office.

Adam held perfectly still. He neither heard nor saw anyone. The curtains were open and the window was closed. On the bed was Sam's green dress – the one she had worn to the barbecue – and it was ripped apart beyond repair. This was no ordinary burglary. Only Sam would know if anything had been taken. But she was too weak to hear about this problem. So Adam sorted through the pile of clothes on the floor, pulled out the first shirt and the first jeans he could find, snatched up two mismatched socks and Sam's boots, and backed out of the room. He closed the door and locked it. And kept the key.

He sprinted back to Doc Martin's, his mind reeling. But he made himself walk in the door as though nothing was wrong.

"Sam said to tell you that she drank two cups of tea and ate a biscuit," Doc said as he was closing the door to the inner office. "She went to sleep immediately after that. But she said to show you her empty cup and plate."

Adam sagged against the front door. "Good. We've got a new problem and she doesn't need to know about it yet."

Doc took one look at Adam's face. "Sit down and tell me what's wrong."

When Adam finished speaking, both he and Doc had the same thought – did this have something to do with Sam's smashed guitar? Or possibly even the stage accident?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam peeked in to check on Sam. She was still sleeping, still under her blankets. The color in her face was much-improved, and Adam bent to kiss her freckled nose. Then he returned to the outer office and spoke to Doc in hushed whispers. Delmas was tossing and turning and would probably wake up soon.

"We need to talk to Roy," Doc Martin said, "but I don't feel comfortable leaving either Sam or Delmas alone. We can't talk here if we're gonna keep things a secret."

There was a soft rap on the door and, when Doc opened it, there stood Drucilla. "I brought some things to make breakfast with. I know you cook in here, Doc, so you obviously have some kind of utensils."

Doc put his arm around Drucilla. "You and Thelma and Henrietta have been a God-send. But nobody's awake right now, and Adam and I have to run by Roy Coffee's office for a little while. Do you have time to keep an eye on my two patients?"

Drucilla snorted. "Of _course_ I have time." She paused. "I can find you at the sheriff's office?" She wanted more information.

"Nothing important," Adam hastened to say. "Delmas gave us his story about the stage turning over and Roy will have a report to file."

Drucilla looked disappointed at such mundane news. Then she clucked like a mother hen and began looking for pots and pans to cook in. "Go on with you then. If I need help, I know where to find you."

Doc and Adam ran into Ben as he was coming up the walk. Under his arm, he carried fresh clothes for Adam. "You need to shave, son," he said as he looked at Adam's face.

"So I've been told," Adam replied. "I'll change clothes at Roy's office, and I'll shave there too."

Adam gave a quick recap of the happenings at the hotel and the information given by Delmas. With the clean clothes under his arm, Ben accompanied his son and Doc Martin to Roy's office. Adam was now wearing his gun – he had put it on after returning from the hotel.

Only one person paid attention to the group as they entered the sheriff's office. And that person's face turned ugly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Roy listened to the stories from start to finish but wasn't sure that there was a connection between the smashed guitar, the shots fired at the stagecoach, and the ransacking of Sam's hotel room. But he didn't rule the connection out either.

Adam shaved quickly, washed up and dressed in the clean clothes that Ben had brought. He also strapped on his gun.

He listened as Roy spoke. "One thing we have to do is look at Sam's hotel room. Maybe there'll be something there that will give us a clue. Adam, did you move anything?"

"No. I just fished around for something for Sam to wear. I closed the door and locked it when I left. I have the key. I'm sure Sam has the other key in her purse, but I don't remember retrieving a purse."

"We need to ride out and check that stage. All around it. There might be some clues there that we didn't know to look for. I'd like to see if there's a bullet hole where Delmas says one should be. Doc, keep Delmas in your office for a while, and caution him to repeat nothing that he's said. We need to talk to Sam too. She might shed some light on the accident."

Ben spoke. "I don't think we should all ride out together. That would look suspicious. Why don't we meet outside of town in about an hour?"

Both Adam and Roy nodded. Adam handed his dirty clothes to Ben. "This is your excuse for being in town. Nobody would think twice about a father bringing clean clothes into town. Maybe you and Roy could sneak up the back stairs at the hotel and look at Sam's room. I'll give you the key. Then you could split up and we'll meet in an hour, give or take. I don't want to alarm Sam just yet. I don't want her to know there's something suspicious going on."

"I can keep her at my office for only so long, Adam. You know how head-strong she is, and she'll want to go back to the hotel."

"Keep her in your office until tonight," Ben said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "By then, we can figure out what to do."

"I think you three should slip out my back door," Roy said. "You know how folks talk, and it would look odd for all of you to be walking out the front door at the same time. Ben, I'll meet you at the hotel in fifteen minutes. Doc, you sneak out first and go straight to your office. Adam, give him a five-minute head start and then leave."

With all men in agreement, the sneaking out the back door began.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Concerned citizens stopped Doc several times to ask about "Doctor Sam" and the unknown man.

"Sam is still very weak," Doc would answer. "And the man's name is 'Delmas'. His broken leg will heal, but he'll be on crutches for a while. He plans to head back east when the stage arrives in a few days." Doc was very careful to say the same thing to everybody. Adam's version, when asked, was basically the same. _Tell as little as you can._

As he headed toward Doc's office, Adam noticed that the Werner buggy was parked in front of the café. Gretchen almost flew out the door when she saw Adam going by. "Adam! Wait!" she called. When Adam turned, Gretchen caught up with him. "Tell me how Dr. Nielsen is!" she asked, her breath coming out frosty in the cold air.

"She's weak but improving," Adam answered.

"That's good to hear," Gretchen replied, but she didn't look very happy.

"What brings you to town so early?" Adam asked.

"Papa had some business to attend to and decided we could all eat breakfast here. I'm just finishing my last cup of coffee. Alone. Mama has gone to get a few supplies, and I'm just going to go window shopping. I saw a beautiful green dress in Francine's window. Do you like green, Adam?"

Adam shrugged. "I like most all colors. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to Doc's office." He turned and walked away. He didn't hear Gretchen's sigh.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam could hear laughter coming from Doc Martin's office even before he got there. That's a good sign. He opened the door and went inside and was delighted to see that breakfast had been cooked and was being devoured by four hungry people. And Sam was dressed, the color of her cheeks looked normal.

Quickly, Drucilla fixed Adam a big plate of his own. "I want you to eat every bite, Adam! You need your energy!"

And Adam realized that he, in fact, was starving! Accepting a cup of coffee from Drucilla, Adam looked at Sam and smiled. She was still laughing, her green eyes dancing.

"Okay," Adam said, between bites of eggs and ham. "What's so funny?"

Sam contorted her body until her feet were in the air. "Does anything look strange to you?"

"Well, yeah," Adam answered, teasing Sam. "You're not barefoot like you used to be when you were at the Ponderosa."

Drucilla rolled her eyes. Doc almost spit out his coffee. Delmas grinned.

"Adam Cartwright!" Sam snickered. "Look again!"

"Your socks don't match," Adam answered correctly. "You have one brown sock and one red one."

"Why in the world would you bring back mismatched socks?" Sam asked between giggles as she put her feet back down.

Looking quickly at Doc and then turning his eyes back to Sam, Adam answered with a grin, "I was in a hurry." _But I can't tell you why I was in a hurry._

"I should have gone to the hotel myself," Sam muttered, but she wasn't angry. Again Adam looked at Doc. This conversation needed to be light and happy for the moment.

"A woman running down the street wearing nothing but a blanket would have made an interesting sight," Adam grinned.

"She could've been arrested," Doc grinned back, playing along with Adam.

"You two are absolutely _demented_!" Sam shot back. "If you hadn't brought back my boots, then I'd just sashay myself to the hotel and pick out my own socks. I learned to match them when I was young, unlike some people I know."

Drucilla laughed. "It's a good thing that Hop Sing tends to such things. Who knows what any of you Cartwrights might be wearing!"

Breakfast continued with this light-hearted banter and, when everything was eaten, Drucilla rose to wash the dishes. Sam got up to help and Adam couldn't help but notice the slight bounce of Sam's breasts beneath her shirt as she moved about. He remembered what he had seen last night when the blanket had fallen to Sam's waist. His body remembered too, and he was forced to shift positions in his chair.

Delmas spoke. "Doc, Miss Drucilla said there's a extra room to the boardin' house where she lives. I kin rent that room 'til my leg gets a little better."

Before Doc could speak, Sam spoke. "And there's no reason why I can't go back to my hotel room and not be here sleeping on your exam table."

Adam held his breath, waiting for Doc Martin to say something. Looking very professional, Doc addressed his two patients. "Delmas, you have a broken leg and are still taking very strong pain killers. You need to stay here at least one more night. And, Sam, you feel pretty good now. You've had a lot of sleep and one good meal. But, in a little while, you're going to lose your energy, and I want to be here to check out your vital signs when that happens. Hold off on going back to the hotel until we see how you're feeling tonight. Today you need to rest and not socialize or work or do anything else."

Adam exhaled. Doc had handled the situation with ease. Sam looked at Delmas and shrugged her shoulders. She knew that Doc was right.

"Doc, keep an eagle eye on these two," Adam said. "I've got things I have to do."

"You're leaving?" Sam asked.

"I have to, Sam," Adam answered gently. And then he whispered in her ear, "I'd much rather hold you and rock in that old chair. Blankets or none. Your choice."

" _Adam_!" Sam hissed.

He kissed her ear, making her skin tingle, then he thanked Drucilla for the breakfast. With a wave at Delmas and a knowing look at Doc, Adam left the office and headed down the street to the livery stable. Ben had brought Sport in this morning and left him there.


	12. Chapter 12

As planned, Adam met up with Ben and Roy outside of town. Roy handed Sam's room key back to Adam. There were only two keys to Sam's room, and Adam needed to return one if the other one could be found.

"That room looked like a tornado hit it!" Roy exclaimed. "But a robber could've made that kind of mess looking for something to take."

Ben nodded in agreement. "Right now, I'm keeping an open mind. Let's look at the stagecoach and see what we find."

No snow had fallen since the accident, and the road was easy to follow. Plus the trampled-down areas where the search party had gathered was just as easy to find and follow. And there was the stagecoach, sitting exactly as it had been left.

Dismounting quickly, all three men walked to the stagecoach and began to examine it closely from different sides. It wasn't long before Ben called out. "Come here! Look at this!"

And a bullet hole was right where Delmas had said it would be. Roy pried the squashed bullet out with his pocket knife.

"Well, we know that there was a gunshot fired and we know that we've got a bullet. But what we _don't_ know is whether it was fired deliberately or if a hunter shot at something and missed." Roy looked at the bullet again. "Can't even tell what kind it is."

Remembering to look for Sam's hotel key, Adam climbed into the stagecoach. The one piece of luggage had spilled out its contents (or had been plundered), and Adam tried to stuff everything back into the bag. He touched a lacy camisole and felt a heat spread over his body. Quickly, he stuffed the camisole into the bag. _Out of sight, out of mind._ After rooting around for a minute, he found Sam's purse; it had either opened itself on impact or some stranger's hands had opened it. There was no hotel key but there were several personal things that Sam might want. Adam climbed out of the coach and showed what he had found. "The key is missing. I looked everywhere but it's not in the stage." Adam rubbed his forehead. "Delmas said there were 'gunshots'. That means more than one." He began to look more closely this time. And his sharp eyes finally found what they were looking for. "Pa! Roy! What do you think about this?"

Where the wagon tongue joined the body of the stagecoach, there was another hole. But whatever had made that hole had gone completely through – there was no bullet to be found.

Ben found what would turn out to be the last hole. It had wedged itself into the hub of the fallen-down wagon wheel. And it was as flat as the first one had been.

Roy shook his head. "That kinda lets out the idea of a hunter, I'd say. Somebody didn't want the stage to get to Virginia City. Or they were after Delmas or Sam. And Delmas wasn't carrying a strongbox."

"The holes are all on the right side of the stage," Ben thought aloud. "Whoever did the shooting had to be over there." He indicated an area behind him. "There aren't any trees, but there're plenty of rocks. And from the way the bullets are flattened, they were still traveling at high velocity. Somebody had to be fairly close."

Adam looked all around and could see nothing but virgin snow. Not even a jackrabbit had made any tracks. As he climbed into the saddle, he suggested that they all take a look. And, after about fifteen minutes, they found the remains of what had been a small campfire. Just as Ben had said, it was behind a small rock formation. And in a crevice of that rock formation was the impression of a rifle barrel. There were five empty casings half-buried in the snow. The three men looked at each other in silence. It was Roy who finally spoke. "This cinches it. Somebody deliberately shot at the stage. And whoever it was had to wait for just the right place – probably where the horses would be slowing down to make a sharp turn."

"And that's what Delmas said he did. He slowed the horses down because he was afraid there would be an ice patch ahead. The shots scared the horses and they ran off the road a little way back behind us. The stage got separated from the horses and rolled over this way. The horses got back on the right trail again and headed for the familiar road to town," Adam added.

"These casings are pretty common," Ben mused. "Just about every man in Virginia City could own something like this. And some women too. I don't think I know of a single home that doesn't have at least one rifle for either hunting or protection or both. Not a word of this to anyone. We don't want to let this news out just yet. Except for telling Doc. He needs to stay alert for anything out of the ordinary."

"Like a smashed guitar in his own office?" Adam asked with a little sarcasm.

"I think you need to talk to Sam," Ben interjected. "See what she remembers about the ride here. Maybe she heard or saw something that we don't know about."

Adam nodded. "I don't know when to tell her about the mess in her hotel room. I'm not even sure _what_ to tell her."

"The simplest thing to do right now is just to tell her that somebody knew she wouldn't be in her room and it looked like a good place to try to steal something. She needs to look around to make sure that nothing's missing." Roy sighed.

"I can't hide the ripped dress," Adam said. "How do I explain that?"

There was no answer to his question. Adam tied Sam's luggage to his saddle and put her purse in his saddle bag. The three men headed back to town, entering at different points in case anybody was watching.

And somebody was.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There was a hand-written note on Doc's door when Adam arrived. "Patients are sleeping. Unless there's an emergency, please do not disturb." At the threshold of the door were small baskets of fruit, bread, cheese, what looked like a large can of beef stew, and even a pie. There were no names attached – these were gifts from people who truly cared about Sam. They wouldn't have known Delmas, but Adam didn't discount that the food might be for Doc. Opening the door quietly, Adam found Doc changing the bandages on Delmas's leg.

"You running a café of your own outside?" Adam asked as he pointed to the food.

"I guess folks just tippy-toed up and left. I never heard a sound."

"Give me a hand with this stuff," Adam said, looking directly into Doc's eyes and holding the gaze.

Doc got the message. He had finished with Delmas's leg and headed to the door. Adam quietly filled Doc in on the morning's events.

Doc shook his head and helped Adam carry the baskets in. "Good thing it's so darn cold outside or this stuff might have spoiled. No telling when I would've found it." Doc shook his head again, but his mind was on what Adam had told him.

"Go talk to Sam," Doc whispered. "She's been asleep long enough. Lots of folks came to visit while you were gone and she got tired pretty fast."

Sure enough, Sam was sleeping. She looked so peaceful and so beautiful that he hated to wake her up. He stroked her hair and touched her cheek. His heart felt full. And he knew he was in love with this woman. Dispensing with the idea of picking her up and carrying her to the rocking chair, he ran his hand gently down her arm. She stirred slightly. "Sam, it's time to wake up," he said.

"Don't wanna," came the answer.

"We've got a whole bunch of food to eat," he coaxed.

Sam opened one eye and then stretched sinuously. Adam's pants felt too tight, so he sat down in the chair while Sam slowly sat up on the table.

"Did you get your errands run?" Sam asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"Most of 'em. And I brought you a surprise."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh." And Adam pulled out a brand new matching pair of socks.

With a squeak of delight, Sam took the socks, pulled off her mismatched ones, and put the new ones on. Her face lit up like a candle.

"If I'd known that socks would thrill you so, I should've gotten you something other than socks!" Adam rocked and grinned.

Sam suddenly launched herself at Adam and threw her arms around his neck, almost knocking Adam and the chair over backwards. "This is a wonderful surprise! Thank you!"

And then she jumped in Adam's lap and kissed him. It started out as a quick kiss on the lips but ended up being something quite intense. The kiss lingered on and on, and Sam wasn't sure whether the heat was coming from her body or from Adam's or from both. She found herself nipping at Adam's lower lip; he probed the inside of her mouth with his tongue.

She drew away quickly at the sound of Doc's voice. "Lunch is ready! Get yourselves in here and eat!"

Sam blushed. Adam couldn't speak. Climbing out of Adam's lap, Sam said with a quavering voice, "Guess we need to humor Doc."

"You go ahead," Adam said. "I'll be right there." He knew he didn't dare stand up right then.

A knowing look appeared on Sam's face. She touched his lips with her finger and went in the other room.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thelma had replaced Drucilla and was putting food on the table. "It's up to us to make sure you get fed correctly. Doc is a terrible cook."

While eating sandwiches, home fries, and pickles, Adam began to pick Sam's brain. He was very subtle. "Can you remember anything about the accident?" he asked.

"Not really," Sam answered, crunching on a pickle. "It was cold inside the coach, and I covered myself with a blanket. I thought about poor Delmas, sitting up there on that seat and taking the brunt of the wind and snow that kept getting worse. I peeked out the curtain once or twice and that's why I knew the snow was getting worse."

"So you didn't see anybody out there hunting or riding by?"

Delmas interjected. "I was the only one foolish enough to be heading into a storm like that."

"Have another sandwich," Doc interrupted. He didn't want Delmas to say too much.

"Nope, I didn't see anybody," Sam continued. "And at some point, I must've fallen asleep. Somewhere along the way, I slid across the seat, and it felt like we must've hit a patch of ice. Then the coach began to really slide and my suitcase fell on the floor and popped open. And then I was upside down, sitting on the roof of the stage."

"Poor dear," Thelma said. "You must've been scared to death!"

"I wasn't really scared until I discovered that Delmas was missing. I kept calling out to him and finally heard him answer. I found him in a pile of rocks, and I knew his leg was broken. Even though he was in great pain, he knew just what to do. He told me to look for a big rock that we could hide behind and assured me that somebody would come looking for us. He saved my life."

"You saved _my_ life," Delmas said. "You and that red blanket."

"I thought I smelled smoke," Sam said. "I kept thinking there had to be someone nearby. But I never saw anybody. I guess it was my imagination and wishful thinking."

 _No it wasn't_. Adam's brain was working overtime.

Meanwhile, Thelma was putting dishes in the small sink. Sam got up to help. Delmas sat in his designated place and promptly fell asleep. Adam looked at Doc, and an understanding glance passed between the two.

With the dishes washed and dried, Sam's eyes began to get heavy. Adam rose and announced he had more things to do in town.

"Time for a nap, young lady," Doc said sternly.

Sam didn't argue. "Adam, when you come back, can we go to the livery stable? I want to check on Fancy."

"We'll see," Adam answered. "If you promise to take a nice, long nap, then we might just take a short ride." Sam smiled and then looked at the food that had not yet been eaten. "Oh, look at this beef stew!" she chortled. "We can have this for supper and have the pie for dessert. How nice all the folks have been to leave food for us!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam had been in such a hurry to talk to Sam that he had forgotten her luggage and her purse. Now he retrieved both. As he did, a piece of paper floated to the ground. He stooped to pick it up. "Go away!" it read in scrawled lettering.

Adam looked around quickly. The only people he saw nearby were Henrietta approaching him and Ted who was walking quickly in the other direction. Adam looked at the piece of paper again. The hair on his neck prickled. It was just a scrap of ordinary cheap paper, unlined, the kind one could purchase at the local General Store. Doc needed to see this and so did Roy. The paper went quickly into Adam's pocket. Looking as nonchalant as he possibly could, Adam strolled back into Doc's office. Delmas was snoring – Doc had slipped him some more pain powder in his coffee. Delmas wouldn't go anywhere for a while. Sam was talking to Doc. When she saw Adam, her face lit up. "Can we go riding now?" she asked hopefully.

"You haven't had your nap yet," Adam answered. "I went to the stagecoach and found these. Thought you might want 'em." He was struggling to keep his voice as normal as possible.

"Oh, goodie!" chortled Sam as she took the items from Adam's hands. "There are some things in here that I need!"

Adam couldn't help it. He grinned. "I know. I had to put them all back into that bag." He gave a devilish grin. Sam opened the bag and saw her lacy camisole on top of the clothes.

"Pervert!" she said and flounced into the back office, breasts bouncing. Of course, Adam didn't miss her deliberate jiggle. But right now he had other things on his mind.

"Doc!" Adam whispered urgently. "You need to see this before Sam comes back out. And Henrietta is on her way here."

Doc read the words on the scrap of paper. "Where did you find this?"

"I think it fell either out of Sam's purse or her luggage. I packed everything back in that bag myself, and the paper wasn't there. It wasn't in her purse either. I looked through that when I was hunting for her room key."

"You've got to show this to Roy," Doc whispered as he returned the scrap of paper. It went immediately into Adam's pocket. "I'm going there, but not in a direct route. The only person who might have seen me pick it up would be Henrietta. But, if she asks, I can say it was a list of things I needed to do. Ted was walking away from me – perhaps too far to have had time to put this anywhere. But he was walking pretty fast. There weren't any other folks even close to me."

"This is bad, Adam." Doc looked worried. "I'm doing my best to keep Delmas drugged so he doesn't say anything, but I can't do it for too long."

"Doc, I know you have a gun in here. Keep it handy."

"I will, Adam. I will."

Adam strode out the door as Henrietta entered. "Hello, Adam! Uh, good bye, Adam."

Turning to Doc, she gave him a hurt look. "He didn't even speak to me."

Doc faked a smile and an excuse. "He's got errands to run, and I think he'd rather be here with Sam."

Henrietta smiled conspiratorially. "Of course. I understand completely. Isn't seeing people in love just wonderful?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam decided to get a beer to calm his nerves. As luck would have it, Hoss and Little Joe were heading for the same saloon. By the looks on their faces, Adam knew they hadn't learned of this morning's events.

"Pa's in there," Little Joe grinned. "Let's see if he'll spring for beer for all of us!"

Again, as luck would have it, Ben happened to be talking to the sheriff. He took one look at Adam's face and knew there was something amiss.

Hoss and Little Joe bellied up to the bar and flashed their best smiles.

"Hey, Pa!" Hoss said, laying one big hand on his father's shoulders and nodding at Roy with a wink of his blue eyes. "We sure could use a beer and we're all flat busted."

Ben pretended to sigh. "Why is it, when you come in here and I'm not here, you can manage to buy your own drinks? The minute you see me, dollar signs float around in your eyes!"

While Ben was talking – and paying for a round of beer – Adam was whispering to Roy. "We gotta talk. But not here. And not this minute. I'll drink my beer in a hurry and then meet you in your office. Tell Pa to meet us there."

Roy presented a perfect poker-face and whispered back, "I'll be there. And so will your Pa."

Adam leaned against the bar, saw his father glance quickly at him and then look away. Roy had passed the message on without anybody noticing. Adam drank his beer and tried to carry on a cheerful conversation. But his mind was on that slip of paper.


	13. Chapter 13

Roy read the words on the paper and then handed the scrap to Ben. "Where did you find this, Adam?" Roy asked, leaning forward and keeping his voice low.

"It fell on the ground as I was getting Sam's luggage and purse. Her purse was in my saddlebag, and I would've known for sure if it'd fallen from there. Had to be wedged in next to her valise."

"You're positive that a gust of wind didn't blow it your way from somewhere else." Ben was playing the devil's advocate on purpose.

"If a gust of wind had caught it, it wouldn't have landed right at my feet. It would have blown higher up and past me."

"Is there any chance that this message was meant for _you_?" Roy asked. "Maybe somebody doesn't like your hanging around so much."

Ben spoke in the deep voice that meant "pay attention." "I don't think the warning was meant for Adam. My son didn't have his guitar smashed. My son wasn't involved in a stagecoach accident. My son didn't have his room trashed."

Roy looked at Ben and knew the man was trying to keep a lid on his temper. "Hold on, Ben. We have to look at every angle. I can't go around jumping to conclusions. It seems pretty cut-and-dried to me. Somebody is either trying to scare Sam off or…"

"Somebody is trying to kill her." Adam spoke with a snarl in his voice.

The three men began thinking up a strategy. They came up with one they believed would work.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 _At least it's not freezing cold outside_ , Adam thought to himself as he walked into Doc's office. Delmas was awake but seemed a bit unsteady. Doc's powders are working well. Henrietta had brought her knitting and was busy at work. Sam was not there.

"Hello, Henrietta," Adam said as he removed his hat. "I apologize for not speaking earlier. I was in a hurry and forgot my manners."

Henrietta smiled. "Oh, Adam, that's quite all right. I understand." _Is she winking at me?_

"Where's Sam?" Adam asked casually. "She wanted to ride Fancy if she felt up to it." This was said deliberately so that Henrietta and the half-awake Delmas wouldn't be suspicious about anything.

"Sam's cleaning up the back office. She's got 'cabin fever,' I think," Doc replied.

Adam stepped into the back room and found Sam folding sheets.

"You need to shave," Sam said as she looked at Adam's face.

"I shaved this morning." Adam kissed her. Hard.

"Well, you need to do it again! You just took off two layers of my skin!" Sam was teasing – well, sort of. Her chin had gotten pinker.

"Did you take your nap like a good girl?" Adam asked.

Sam saluted and answered, "Yessir, I did!"

"You ready to take Fancy out for a short ride?"

"More than ready! I'm going crazy in this office!"

Adam looked pointedly at Sam's shirt front. "I see you got dressed." The lacy camisole was quite visible under Sam's shirt.

"It's the only way to make you stop leering at me!" came Sam's retort.

"I wouldn't count on it." Adam grinned. And he was being truthful.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fancy was delighted to see Sam and vice versa. Sam rubbed the mare's velvety nose and spoke to her. "Ready for a ride, Fancy?" Sam asked as she turned to get her saddle blanket on its peg just outside of Fancy's stall. Fancy pranced in anticipation and snorted eagerly, small puffs of frost exiting her nose.

Sport was already saddled – had been since the morning – and his cinch had to be tightened. But, as Adam looked over at the place where Fancy's saddle was always kept, he saw something sticking out from under the stirrup flap. It looked strangely familiar.

Sam was now heading for the saddle; Adam stopped her. "Use your energy for riding. I'll take care of the saddle and bridle."

"I can take care of myself," Sam replied impatiently.

"I know you can. But I like doing things for you." He kissed her on the tip of her head.

"I kinda like your doing things for me," Sam smiled as she turned around to curry Fancy's mane and tail. "You need to look your best," she said as she worked.

Quickly, Adam snatched up the scrap of paper. _Go away!_ The same message as the last one had said. Putting the paper into his pocket, Adam began to check every inch of the saddle. And he didn't like what he found. The cinch had been neatly sliced almost all the way through. If this hadn't been discovered, and if Sam had decided to gallop, the saddle would have slipped. Sam would've been dumped on the ground.

Just to be sure, Adam checked Fancy's bridle. He could find nothing wrong with it and was somewhat relieved. Then he casually walked over to Fancy, rubbed her face and neck, then her belly and her legs. He looked at her hooves.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"She hasn't been ridden in a while and I wanted to make sure she was okay."

"Why wouldn't she be?" Sam looked at Adam curiously.

"She's been cooped up in this barn for several days. And it's been so cold. I wanted to check for muscles that didn't feel right. And she needs to go to the blacksmith and have her hooves trimmed soon. She's okay for several days."

"Adam, are we going to ride or not?" Sam was impatient.

Adam thought fast. "I've got an idea. Why don't we ride bareback today? Sport's been in this saddle all day and I bet he'd like a rest from it."

Sam loved to ride bareback but had never seen Adam do this. "That's a wonderful idea!" So she snatched the saddle blanket off while Adam unsaddled Sport. "I do need a leg up, though," Sam mused.

"Always glad to oblige," Adam said with a devilish gleam in his hazel eyes. Grabbing Sam's leg, he gave her a boost. "Mmm, mmm, mmm!" he said appreciatively as he looked at Sam's backside.

Sam hissed at him and headed outside. Adam swung up onto Sport's back and followed right behind her, his eyes looking up and down both sides of the street. At this time of the day, most folks had finished business and errands. The only person Adam saw was Ted, sitting in a chair with his hat pulled low over his eyes as though he might be taking a snooze. That tidbit stayed in Adam's mind. He needed to talk to Roy again but wasn't sure how he'd be able to sneak in another visit.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam wanted to go faster than a walk, so Adam agreed. _We might be less of a target if we're moving fast._ "I'll race you to the Red Rocks! On the count of three, okay?"

Sam grinned. "Onetwothreego!" And she was halfway down the street by the time Adam knew she had moved.

Sport caught up with her quickly and, together, they raced side by side. At the very last minute, Adam nudged Sport and he surged ahead. Adam was waiting by the time Sam arrived. But he hadn't been waiting long – Fancy was quicker than he had thought she was. And nobody had used either of the riders for target practice.

Sam made a face as she reined in next to Adam. "We let you beat us," she lied.

"Sure you did." And Adam leaned over, tugged on Sam's hair and brought her face close to his. "You're a remarkable woman, Samantha Nielsen."

His kiss caught Sam so by surprise that she almost fell from Fancy's back. Adam grabbed her in the nick of time.

Flustered, Sam righted herself. "You need to shave." And she turned Fancy around and headed back to town. Adam let her win but he stayed close behind her.

And Ted was sitting in a different chair this time. Right by the livery stable. Was he watching?

While Sam was busy talking to Fancy and giving her some sweet feed, Adam saw Jess. "Have you seen anybody hanging around here? Maybe taking care of Fancy?"

Jess shook his head. "I knowed Doctor Sam was sick, and I been takin' care of that mare myself. Ain't nobody else been doin' nothin'. As far as folks hangin' 'round, there's been lots of folks who been keepin' horses and buggies in here when it's been cold. No strangers though."

Fishing in his pocket, Adam slipped Jess some money. "You've been very good to Sam and to Fancy. I appreciate your taking the time to do it – I know how busy you are." Adam knew that Jess had not been that busy, but an ego stroke never hurt.

Jess took the money. "Is Doctor Sam still staying at Doc Martin's?"

Remembering the strategy, Adam answered. "No. Doc says she can go back to the hotel later on tonight."

Jess smiled. "I know she'll be glad!"

Adam said nothing but just nodded his head. He went to stand by Sam's side and took her by the elbow. "You've had enough excitement for today," he said. "Let's go to Doc's and eat some of that stew."

"My sweet tooth is looking forward to the pie," Sam answered. "I've never seen one so big and so beautiful."

Ted was gone when Adam and Sam headed towards Doc's office.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Drucilla was taking another turn at helping out at Doc's office. But she had ulterior motives – she had taken a liking to Delmas. And he had taken a liking to her. Maybe he couldn't get up and move around very well because of his pain powders, but he and Drucilla were sharing "special looks" at each other.

Adam managed to show Doc the second slip of paper and had cued him in on the plans made earlier with Roy and Ben. And now the two men had to sit and act as though nothing was bothering them.

"I still think Delmas should come back with me to the boarding house," Drucilla said to Doc as she stirred the stew. "I can take care of him."

Doc pretended to reluctantly concede. "He can go tonight after supper. But you must make sure he takes his pain medications for that leg. The bandages on that leg need to be changed every day – either I can do it or you can do it. I see no sign of infection at all."

Drucilla was thrilled beyond words. "I know infection when I see it. I'll let you know immediately if there's a problem."

"Oh, I almost forgot to add something." Doc said as he glanced quickly at Adam. "I know it's a bother, but could you spread the word that Sam is now released from my care and can go back to her hotel tonight? The restaurant is hosting the Cattlemen's and Farmer's Association supper tonight, and I know that plenty of people there will be interested to hear that Sam is back to normal."

Drucilla was beaming. She had never been privy to such interesting information and felt quite important. She could mix and hob-nob with people she didn't usually socialize with. "I'd be delighted," she said, hardly able to contain her glee.

Sam looked at Doc as she was filling bowls of stew. "I can go back to a real bed and have my own room back?" Then, "I can still come back to the office and work with you, can't I?"

"Of course," Doc answered. "I can keep an eye on you that way."

Adam liked the way Doc was handling this. Everything was going smoothly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Drucilla was letting the pie warm up and sat down at the small table to eat. "My, this smells wonderful. And how fortunate we have so much good bread to go with it!"

Sam had already started to eat. She buttered some bread, took a bite, and immediately began to choke. Both Doc and Adam were at her side in an instant; worried looks creased their faces. Was something wrong with the stew? Only Sam had begun eating.

"What's wrong with you two!" Sam sputtered as she coughed. "I ate too fast and a bread crumb went down the wrong way. Lord, you would have thought there was poison in this food."

"I thought you choked on a piece of meat," Adam said.

"I was ready to give you a good slap on the back," Doc added.

Both Adam and Doc noticed that Delmas and Drucilla were eating and not choking. Perhaps Sam's choking really _was_ from an errant bread crumb.

So Adam and Doc began eating. There were no problems. The stew and the bread were, indeed, delicious.

After that part of the meal, the pie was still not warm enough to eat, so Drucilla and Sam washed the dishes. But Drucilla just couldn't wait another second – she was facing the delights of telling a roomful of people first-hand news.

"I'm just too full to eat any pie," she said, though that wasn't really the truth. "Doc, if it's okay, Delmas and I will go on to the restaurant and tell everybody about Sam going back to her hotel room and about Delmas coming to the boarding house."

"But I haven't had any pie yet," Delmas said.

"Why, Thelma made a pie just this morning. You can have a big slice after we run our 'errand'."

Delmas shrugged. It didn't matter to him whether he ate pie now or later. He smiled at Drucilla; the woman actually blushed.

"Be sure that you tell my father," Adam said, a little more forcefully than necessary. "He needs to know what's going on. It's important to him."

"I'll tell Mister Cartwright first thing!" Drucilla said enthusiastically.

When the last of the dirty dishes were washed, dried, and put away, Doc gave Delmas crutches and repeated his cautions to Drucilla about keeping an eye on Delmas's leg.

Drucilla fairly flew out the door, almost snatching Delmas out of his crutches. Doc, Adam and Sam managed to control their explosive laughter until Drucilla was well out of earshot.

"I wouldn't hurt that woman's feeling for the world," Doc said, wiping his streaming eyes. "She and Thelma and Henrietta have been so good to me – to us. But I wonder if Delmas knows what he's in for."

Adam continued to chuckle. And continued to hope the plans from this morning would work out.

Sam looked at the pie and touched its crust. "I don't know about you two, but I'm having some of this." She reached for a knife to make the first slice.


	14. Chapter 14

Sam knew how to cut a pie correctly. But she also knew that pies made with fruit are easily penetrated by a knife. This particular pie was proving difficult, so Sam just stabbed the point of the knife into the center of the pie with more vigor. She miscalculated the balance of the pie tin and it tipped over onto the floor. Sam was left holding the knife and was embarrassed at the mess she'd made. She looked at Adam and Doc. Both faces were shocked – but not at the mess on the _floor_. Sam followed the direction of the men's eyes and looked at the knife she was holding. Impaled on its sharp tip was a headless dead _mouse_!

Sam wasn't scared of mice but, out of pure shock, she reflexively shrieked and threw the knife – with mouse attached – to the floor, jumping backwards in horror. Adam sprang to his feet and disposed of both mouse and knife in the garbage can beside Doc's door. Doc seemed rooted to his seat, his jaw working but no words would come out.

Adam stormed back in the door, his face black with rage. "That's it! Doc, go get Roy and Pa. Use whatever excuse you have to in order to get them here. Just _get_ them!"

Doc raced out the door and sprinted for the restaurant. Adam put his arms around Sam and found that she was, of course, shaking badly.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Sam asked, her lips beginning to quiver.

"I'm afraid not. I'll clean up this mess and, as soon as Doc gets back with Pa and Roy, I'll explain everything to you. Now sit down before your legs collapse."

Sam did as she was told. Fortuitously, most of the food had been eaten during the day; Adam used the sheet Delmas had been sleeping on and threw all the rest of the donated food into the center of the sheet. Tying the corners up tightly, he went outside and dumped everything into the garbage can.

"Tell me that the mouse was dead when it was put into the pie," Sam said softly.

Adam gaped at her. She's worried that the mouse had been cooked alive – _not_ that she had a mouse in the pie she was so ready to eat! He answered, "Sam, the mouse was dead. It had no head."

Sam nodded. "Oh."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Doc made it back to the office in record time with both Ben and Roy. On the way to his office, Doc had told them what had happened. All three men looked grim.

Before speaking to Sam, Adam pulled the second scrap of paper from his pocket and showed it to Roy. And he explained where he had found it.

Sam looked completely befuddled. "Will somebody please tell me what's happening?"

Adam pulled his chair close to Sam's and told her everything about the smashed guitar, about the gunshots fired into the stagecoach, about her hotel room being trashed, and about the two scraps of paper. He reminded her that her room key wasn't in her purse when he gathered her things out of the stagecoach.

Sam blinked, trying to absorb what she was hearing. Finally she spoke. "But I haven't done anything bad to anybody. Why would somebody want me…gone?"

Ben spoke. "Would Robert want to frighten you into returning to San Francisco?"

Sam's voice was firm. "No. Definitely not. I know him too well. He wouldn't stoop to this level. Believe me." Then, with a quavering smile, she added, "And he can't boil water, much less cook a pie. Besides that, he's terrified of mice."

Sam hadn't meant that statement to be funny. But her words broke the tension in the room. Adam chuckled and then started to laugh. Ben, Roy and Doc were soon laughing too. When the laughter settled down, four men and one woman talked seriously about a possible motive for the unsettling events and about the strategy already in place. It was a very good plan, but would it work?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam and Sam chatted loud enough to draw attention to themselves as they took a circuitous route to the hotel. People were coming out of the restaurant and they stopped to greet Sam as they went on their way – and Sam made sure that each person knew she would be staying at the hotel from now on. But she didn't have to say much because Drucilla had done an excellent job of spreading the news – that was the thing that she did best!

Adam took Sam's arm as they went up the stairs to Sam's room.

"You understand the plan, right?" Adam asked.

"Perfectly," Sam answered.

Adam used the key that he had never returned to the desk clerk to gain entry into Sam's room. Everything was still heaped up all over the floor.

"Oh, my," Sam said, distressed. "I have a lot of work to do."

"And not much time to do it. I'll give you a hand." Adam began picking clothes up off the floor and hanging dresses in the armoire. Sam took care of putting things back into dresser drawers. She could find nothing missing. "This was no robbery," Sam finally said after she had taken inventory of her belongings. She had been sad to see her favorite green dressed ripped to shreds but there was nothing to do about it now. She just wadded up the dress and hid it in her now-empty valise. She would dispose of it in a safe place later.

"I didn't ever believe that it was a robbery," Adam muttered as he closed the door to the armoire. "It's time," he added.

He looked outside Sam's door and saw that the hallway was clear.

" _Now_!" Adam said tersely.

And Sam raced down the hallway to the back stairs. Ben was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Sam jumped on Sport's back and took off with Ben – heading for the Ponderosa. If anyone had seen the two, they would have thought that father and son were heading home.

Adam spoke in a loud voice, just in case anybody might be listening. "Sleep well, Sam! I'll see you tomorrow!" He shut the door with a bang and made tromping noises with his boots as though he were leaving. But he was inside Sam's room. Standing to the side of the open curtains, he made sure that he couldn't be seen when he closed them. He blew out the lamp and stretched out on Sam's bed, aware of the familiar lavender scent. He waited.

The hours passed slowly and the town grew quiet. Hotel guests had long since gone to sleep. Adam was growing sleepy himself, but he forced himself to stay awake. And then he heard footsteps in the hallway. His mind cleared in a second as he waited to see what would happen. The noise could be a late arrival heading to a room.

The sound of a key in the lock to Sam's room had Adam on his feet. He stood next to the wall behind the door and held his breath. The door opened a crack and someone entered the room. Adam lunged, and a struggle ensued; the intruder had been caught and hand-cuffed (a contribution from Roy) and was now sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed.

Adam quickly lit the lamp and the light revealed the identity of the intruder. It was _Ted_! The two men looked at each other – both equally shocked.

"I know this looks bad, but I can explain," Ted stuttered.

Hearing footsteps approach, and knowing the signal of the lighted lamp had been recognized, Adam's reply was, "Tell it to the sheriff, Ted."

Roy Coffee burst into the room, gun drawn. His face registered shock as he looked at Ted.

"Please, let me explain!" Ted repeated.

"You can do that in jail," Roy snapped.

Making sure nobody had opened any doors to the hallway, Roy motioned for Adam to bring Ted out of Sam's room. They took the back stairs and hid in the shadows as they headed toward the sheriff's office.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Roy removed Ted's handcuffs and led him back to the jail cell. Adam hadn't said a word and neither had Roy.

"Now you can explain all this," Roy said as he locked the cell door.

"I don't know where to start," Ted said, shaking his head.

"Try explaining what you were doing with Sam's key and why you were sneaking up on her in the dead of night," Adam growled.

"I meant her no harm. I only wanted to warn her that she needs to leave town for her own safety." Ted looked miserable. "I'm not even wearing a gun!" And then his words came out so fast that he almost tripped over them.

"I've been helping the Werners at their ranch for a long time. I know that Gretchen is in love with Adam – she's totally obsessed with getting him back. That's all she ever talks about, and she's practically hysterical a lot of the time. Sometimes I hear her when I'm close by the house or inside the house when she has long discussions with her parents. They don't know what to do to make things easier on her. She cries and throws things. She talks to me a lot and has said some weird things – like how nice it would be if Doctor Sam would just go back to San Francisco, either willingly or in a pine box. Other times she says that Doctor Sam just needs a good scare thrown into her to make her leave. She told me that she had smashed Doctor Sam's guitar, hoping that Doctor Sam would be scared."

Ted paused to catch his breath. "I'm in love with Gretchen. I want to marry her. She doesn't know how I feel, but if I can keep her talking to me, then maybe she'll see that it's me that she cares for. Adam, if I wanted to hurt anyone, if I were to try to get rid of anyone, it would be you. Not Doctor Sam. I wanted Doctor Sam to stay in town and hoped that, in time, Gretchen would come to her senses."

Adam and Roy exchanged looks.

"Where did you get Sam's room key?" Roy asked.

"One night, Gretchen and I were talking. It was during the time that the stagecoach accident happened. Gretchen said that if Doctor Sam didn't die, then she sure would be scared when she looked in her hotel room. I didn't know what that meant – still don't – but Gretchen held up Doctor Sam's room key. I told her that it needed to be taken back so the desk clerk wouldn't find it missing. She gave me the key and swore me to secrecy; but, every time I tried to sneak the key back, I would've gotten caught by the desk clerk. So I kept it."

Adam spoke. "I've seen you hanging around town a lot. That's unusual if you're supposed to be helping the Werners on the farm."

"I made it a practice to drive the family here to try to keep an eye on Gretchen. I didn't know what she might do."

"What about the warning notes?" Roy asked.

"What warning notes? I don't know what you're talking about." Ted was either an excellent actor or he had no knowledge of the scraps of paper.

"I found two pieces of paper at two separate times in two separate places," Adam said. "Each scrap of paper said the same thing – 'go away'."

Ted looked totally confused. "If you're thinking that I wrote those, then you're making a big mistake. The only thing I can write is my name. I never went to school. My pa made me work in the fields with him ever since I can remember, but my ma said I should at least know how to sign my name instead of putting down my mark like other folks have to do."

"There was an incident tonight that had to do with a pie. What do you know about that?" Adam asked, keeping specific details to himself.

"Pie? "What pie? I'm completely confused." Ted answered with the most innocent of looks.

"Never mind," Adam interjected. "Now tell me why you chose to sneak into Sam's room, under cover of darkness, and scare the wits out of her."

"She's such a nice lady. I wanted to warn her about Gretchen. I wanted to tell her to keep her eyes open. I knew she'd understand."

Roy's voice had lost a lot of its gruffness. "Why didn't you come to me and tell me all this?"

Ted's shoulders sagged. "I was afraid that Gretchen might get sent back to Denver and I'd never see her again. Or you might end up putting her in jail. That would've humiliated her family and would've sent her right over the edge. I know she's high-strung and vindictive, but I love her anyway. Her family spoils her rotten and lets her get away with anything. I could change all that if she knew how I felt. But she doesn't. I just kept my mouth shut and tried to follow Gretchen wherever she went. If I couldn't follow Gretchen, I tried to keep an eye on Doctor Sam." Ted sat down on the cell cot.

Adam followed Roy out of Ted's hearing range.

"Adam, I've heard a lot of stories from men sitting behind bars. I've looked into their faces and have a good instinct when they lie to me. I think Ted's telling the truth."

Adam leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't want to agree with you, Roy. But I actually believe what Ted is saying. What do we do from here? We still have a problem on our hands. Sam won't be safe forever, not even if I can talk her into staying on the Ponderosa."

"Do you think we can trust Ted to keep his mouth shut if I let him go? If he loves Gretchen like he says he does, will he alert her? We don't know what she might do to Sam if she has an inkling that we know what's going on." Roy looked frustrated. "I don't have legal options to hold him in jail. He didn't actually do anything except trespass. He didn't break into Sam's room. He didn't hurt anybody. Would he have hurt Sam? I don't think so…"

"Let's talk to Ted," was all Adam could say.

And when Roy finished talking to Ted, the answer was, "You can trust me. I'm not educated but that doesn't mean that I don't have good values. I promise I won't tell Gretchen or her family or anybody. I want to see this cleared up as much as you do. Here's my hand and word on it." He stuck his hand out between the bars of the cell. Both Roy and Adam shook his hand. And Roy unlocked the cell and released Ted.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ben was explaining to Hoss, Joe and even Hop Sing, about all the events which had led to Sam's return to the Ponderosa this night. And about the strategy to catch the culprit.

"Why didn't you tell us, Pa?" Hoss asked, his feelings hurt.

"Son, I trust everybody in this room implicitly. But the only way to make sure that there are absolutely no slip-ups is to let as few people in on the facts as possible. That's the main reason that we didn't even tell Sam."

"Hop Sing velly worried for Missie Doctor Sam. She need to live on Ponderosa where she be safe."

Ben smiled. "I'd like nothing better, Hop Sing. But she's hard-headed and stubborn, and I don't think she'd run away from trouble or hide from it."

Little Joe grinned. "She doesn't care what people think of her at all. But she would care what folks think of us – especially seeing how she's so involved with Adam."

Sam appeared from the guest room, freshly bathed and wearing clean clothes that she had hurriedly packed while she and Adam were cleaning up her hotel room. "Do you think I'm deaf or something," she stormed. "'Head-strong and stubborn'? When have I ever acted that way?"

Ben laughed – he just had to. He held up his fingers as if to count off examples.

Sam snorted. "I should be in town trying to help Adam and Roy instead of lolling around in the tub and waiting to see what happens!"

"See?" Ben laughed. "That's one more example."

Sam sat by the fire to warm up and let her hair dry. She was worried about Adam. Would the culprit strike tonight or would she really have to stay at the Ponderosa for an unknown period of time? She couldn't hide forever.

Nobody went to sleep – and nobody _could_ until Adam came home with news, whether it be good or bad. So they all talked into the wee hours of the morning. And, when their vigil was rewarded by Adam's return, the information he brought was of no comfort. They were back at square one. Retreating to their bedrooms, the Cartwrights fell into exhausted sleep.

It was still dark when Sam slipped out of the house, took a horse from the barn and returned to town. Adam had given her the room key, so she went straight to the hotel and sneaked in via the back stairs. But she didn't sleep. Today she would go to work at Doc Martin's and act as though everything was perfectly normal.

Naturally, the day would _not_ be normal.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hop Sing was serving breakfast and muttering to himself. "Missie Doctor Sam miss good hot meal if she sleep all the day. Food not taste good after such long time."

The morning meal was being served – and eaten – late because, for once, the Cartwrights had slept longer than usual. Ben looked at Adam, unshaven and distracted and rather impatient with Hop Sing's mutterings.

"Go wake Sam up," Ben said as Hop Sing went into the kitchen.

Adam got up, went to Sam's door, and rapped lightly. No answer. Adam knocked louder and there was still no answer. So he opened the door and tried to sound cheerful. "Wake up, sleepy…"

But Sam wasn't in bed. Except for the fact that the extra blanket over the bedspread was rumpled, there was no sign that Sam had even been in bed at all. Her clothes weren't in the armoire either.

"She's not there," Adam said as he headed outside. He didn't find her there or in the barn. But one of the horses was missing. Adam swore."She's gone and so is one of our horses," he announced as he went back into the house. "I'll bet she's gone back to town. I'm gonna go to town and bring her back!"

The door slammed and soon the sound of galloping hooves signaled that Adam had left the Ponderosa.

"Eat fast, boys," Ben intoned. "We're going to town too."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Doc was just leaving his office when Sam appeared. "Billy Jenkins was practicing fast-draw and managed to shoot his fool self in the leg," Doc said to Sam. "Billy's pa just rode in and told me that he was afraid to move his son even though the bullet went clean through the leg. Can you hold down the fort while I'm gone?"

Sam had wanted to talk to Doc about Ted and the events of last night, but apparently this wasn't the time. Doc was in too much of a hurry to answer any questions.

"Of course. I'll be right here," Sam answered.

Doc sprinted down the street to the livery stable, medical bag in hand. Doc had told Frank Jenkins to holler to Jess to hitch up the buggy. Sam shook her head, knowing that a young boy's loss of blood could be critical.

Sam went into the office and began to tidy things up a bit. She wanted to give the impression that all was well in case anybody stopped by even though she was a bit nervous being by herself. _Somebody out there wants me gone._

The door flew open and a white-faced Gretchen appeared. "Please, Dr. Nielsen! Something is very wrong with Papa! He's dizzy and beginning to talk weird!"

Sam didn't hesitate. She left a quick note on the door and jumped into the buggy with Gretchen who was shaking so badly that Sam herself had to take the reins. They left in a cloud of flying snow.


	15. Chapter 15

As the horse galloped along, Gretchen turned to Sam. "Mama wanted Doc to come to the house, but I saw his buggy driving in the opposite direction. But I'm so worried about Papa…"

Sam nodded and tried to concentrate on keeping the buggy on the road.

Gretchen was wringing her hands, emotionally distraught. "I don't like you, you know. If it weren't for you, Adam and I might be married right now. But Papa needs help. And you _are_ a doctor. Can we put our differences aside for now?"

Sam looked into Gretchen's eyes. "I never held any animosity toward you, Gretchen. What is or is not between you and Adam is none of my business. But I'll tell you something that you don't know. There is a man in Virginia City who loves you very much. If you'd open your eyes and stop obsessing about _Adam_ , you would find that this man has the capability of bringing you much happiness."

"Who is he? Is he _wealthy_?" Gretchen's curiosity got the better of her.

" _Dammit, Gretchen_! Financial riches and material things are not the most important things in the world. Look in a man's heart and seek 'riches' there! Look for tenderness, caring, empathy, sympathy, trust and love. A man's heart is the most precious thing he can give. Grow up, Gretchen!"

The horse stumbled, the buggy rocked and bumped and then there was the sound of a wheel cracking. Both Sam and Gretchen jumped out to survey the damage. The wheel could be replaced but not right now. Mr. Werner needed attention more than the wheel did.

"Come on. We'll ride the horse," Sam said quickly. "We won't have to ride far."

Gretchen wailed. "That horse isn't saddle-broke. Papa uses him only to pull the buggy!"

"We'll walk then," Sam replied as she retrieved her medical bag. "How far away are we?"

"Not far," Gretchen answered, her face a mask of fright.

"Okay, here's the plan. We'll unharness the horse and try to follow the road where the snow isn't so deep." Sam's mind was whirling.

"But I'm not used to walking in the snow in these shoes," Gretchen griped. "You go on to the house and I'll stay here with the horse."

"You'll freeze to death before I can get back. Now start walking and be careful!" Sam snapped.

Gretchen wailed and sobbed so loud that Sam just wanted to slap her and leave her, especially when the spoiled female fell in a snowdrift because she had wobbled in her expensive shoes and a heel had broken off.

"Gretchen, how sick is your father?"

"I…I…I'm not sure. He says he's dizzy and that his stomach hurts and that his left arm hurts. He looks awful." Gretchen sobbed. "I'm so worried!"

"Then get up, and I mean right _now_. Stop being hysterical and let's get to him as fast as we can. I don't want to frighten you, but I can't drag you to the house and I can't leave you sitting in the snow – your father may be having trouble with his heart. You're causing me to waste precious time."

And something inside Gretchen changed. With a mighty effort, she pulled her legs underneath her, stopped crying and began to walk. Every time she fell, she got up again with no prodding from Sam. She finally cared enough about someone other than herself that she found strength she didn't know she had.

Arriving at the Werner home, the two women stopped for a second to catch their breath. They were both wet from the snow on the ground and from the light snow that was falling from the sky. They were gasping and leaning against each other from exhaustion, and the cold air burned their lungs with every breath they took. But they had made it. Sam looked backward and saw that the horse had followed them and was now ambling into the barn.

Gretchen opened the front door and almost shoved Sam into the house. Sam was met by Ilsa, her face contorted in anger. "I told you to bring Doc Martin! It's that woman's fault that your father is sick! How dare you bring her into this house!"

"Oh, _shut up_ , Mama!" Gretchen yelled, pushing her mother aside.

An astounded Sam was led into the living room where Friedhelm was stretched out on the sofa. Ted was kneeling on the floor beside him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Friedhelm Werner's face was ashen and there was a patina of sweat across his face. He really looked quite ill. Sam took his pulse and found that it was erratic and rather faint. He looked at her. "I don't want you to touch me. I want Doc Martin."

"Doc Martin is at the Jenkins' place. His son accidentally shot himself in the leg. Looks like you're stuck with me," Sam said evenly.

"Get out of my house!" screeched Ilsa, over and over again.

"Ted," Sam said with authority, "please take Mrs. Werner in another room and keep her there. I can't concentrate while she's screaming."

And, with a bit of effort, Ted dragged Ilsa into the dining room, sat her down and shut the door. Her face was florid and she tried to attack Ted. His response was to sit on her, pull the tablecloth off the table and then proceeded to restrain her.

"What can I do to help?" Gretchen asked, her face full of fear but her voice calm.

"Do you have garlic in the house? Hawthorne berries?" Sam asked.

Gretchen nodded.

"There's a willow tree outside. I need as much bark as you can pull off. Then I want you to boil some water and throw in the garlic, the berries, and the bark and boil them into a tea. The stronger the better. Save some of the bark, rinse it off, and bring it to me."

 **Author's note: Willow leaf and bark contained the basic element (salicylic acid) for modern-day aspirin.**

Gretchen sped out the door.

"Now, Mr. Werner, tell me where you hurt. What does it feel like?"

"I'm dizzy," he said, realizing that Sam was the only help he was going to get. "I feel like I have indigestion, and my left arm hurts."

"Did you fall? Did you eat anything unusual today?" Friedhelm shook his head.

"Okay. I'm going to make you more comfortable," Sam said, hoping that she was doing the right thing. "Slide down and prop your feet on the arm of the sofa."

With Sam's help, he did so. But he didn't feel better. Sam noticed that his face was less ashen, but there were no medicines for heart attacks. Even if there were, she didn't have them in her medical bag. There would be no time to go back to town anyway.

Emerging from the kitchen, Gretchen handed some willow bark to Sam. "Thank you, Gretchen. You're being a big help."

Tearing off a piece of bark, Sam held it to Friedhelm's lips. "Chew on this. When it gets too dry, spit it out and I'll give you another piece to chew on."

Too weak to protest, he opened his mouth, felt the bark against his teeth and began to chew. "Argh," was all he said.

"I know. It tastes bad, but it will help you," Sam said gently.

From the dining room came a great crash and suddenly Ilsa was standing by Sam with a gun. "You leave him alone," she snarled. "You're trying to _kill_ him, but I won't let you."

"Mrs. Werner," Sam said as calmly as she could, "you can shoot me and maybe your husband will live. Or maybe he'll die. Right now, I'm all that you've got. If he dies, _then_ you can shoot me."

Ted arrived in the room, sporting a black eye. Ilsa turned the gun on him and then back towards Sam. She was confused as to what to do.

Now Gretchen entered the room, bearing the cup of tea that she had been instructed to brew. She looked at her mother holding a gun on Sam, looked at Ted with his black eye, looked at her father and then focused on Sam.

"Here's the tea," she said as she handed the cup to Sam. Then she took a step back and waited.

"Mr. Werner, spit out the bark and drink this tea. Ted, will you help me raise his head, please?" Sam didn't take her eyes off Friedhelm's face.

The tree bark out of his mouth, the sick man began to sip the tea. He said something in German that Sam didn't even want to know the translation of. Ted raised and lowered the man's head with each sip.

"What's wrong with him?" Ilsa demanded.

Sam knew better than to try to go into a medical explanation, so she simply answered, "His heart is not well. This tea will help it feel better." _I hope. Otherwise, she'll shoot me right here._

"Has he been under a lot of stress lately?" Sam asked without looking at anybody.

Gretchen's voice quavered. "I've been complaining a lot. I've cried and thrown tantrums and upset the whole house every single day since you came to town, Doctor Sam." This was the first time Gretchen had ever called Sam by that name. She had always been quite formal. "God is paying me back for smashing your guitar and for stealing your hotel key and for tearing up your room and for ripping up your dress." Gretchen wept softly.

Friedhelm said nothing. He continued to sip the tea.

"My poor daughter. It's not your fault. I helped you at the hotel by distracting the desk clerk so you could take the room key. And I wanted to scare Dr. Nielsen away by donating that pie after the accident. Your poor Papa almost went crazy with anger when he saw what I was doing." Ilsa was now sobbing but still hanging onto the gun.

" _What pie_?" Gretchen asked, her brows furrowing.

"The one I put the mouse in." Ilsa almost choked on the words. "I made him too upset and caused this. I had already told him about the mess in the hotel room. He just went over the edge after that."

Ted kept his mouth shut. When he saw that Gretchen was about to open her mouth, he took her into the kitchen and helped her pour another cup of tea for her father.

Sam and Ilsa sat in a tension-filled room and waited.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam fairly leaped from the saddle when he reached Doc Martin's office. The note on the door said "Gone to Werner house." The initial after the message was an "S". Adam swore. He rode toward the Werner's house like a man possessed but had to stop in the middle of the road when he came upon the buggy with the broken wheel. There was no horse. The light snow hadn't covered up the footprints yet and he recognized the imprints of two sets of human prints – prints that could be made only by ladies' shoes. There were also hoof prints in the snow following behind the shoe indentations. Adam wondered why nobody had ridden the horse but didn't dwell on it. He continued up the road and found big holes in the snowdrifts. He wondered if someone had fallen. He prayed that Sam wasn't hurt and felt somewhat better when he realized that there was no blood in the snow. He pushed Sport forward at breakneck speed and hoped he wouldn't be too late to stop a major crisis.

About thirty minutes behind Adam came the rest of the family. They, too, saw the note on Doc's door and raced toward the Werner house. Their expressions were grim.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gretchen and Ted came in with a second cup of tea, this time with some honey added to give Friedhelm some energy. Friedhelm, with Ted's help, began sipping on his second cup of tea and was beginning to get some color back in his face. Sam was relieved, but the man wasn't out of the woods yet. When questioned, the man's dizziness had disappeared as had the pain in his arm. His stomach was beginning to settle. The man looked at Sam. "Am I going to die?"

Sam snorted and answered with a confidence she didn't feel. "None of my patients die. It's not allowed."

Friedhelm gave her a weak smile. "Forgive me for what I've done. Gretchen's right in saying that God is punishing us." He touched Sam's hand.

Ilsa, gun in hand, began screeching. "Don't tell her anything! We could all go to _jail_! Is that what you want for your family? Our good name dragged through the dirt? All because this stupid doctor wouldn't go away?"

Friedhelm ignored her and spoke to Sam. "Gretchen was so upset. I had to do something. I knew when you were coming back on the stage, so I hid behind some rocks and waited. It was cold and I built a small fire to try and stay warm. Just when I was beginning to think that the stage wasn't coming, I saw it in the distance. My fingers were so cold and I couldn't shoot straight. I think I hit the stage. All I wanted to do was to scare the horses into running. I saw them bolt and I ran away and came home to tell Ilsa what I had done. I wasn't trying to kill anybody. I just wanted to throw a scare into you."

" _Shut up! Shut up, you fool!_ " Ilsa screamed.

Sam looked at Ilsa's face. She had seen that look on several of her patients when their minds were separating from reality. Sam was very afraid.

But Friedhelm kept talking to Sam. "When I heard that the stage was missing, I threw extra blankets into the wagon and joined the search party. I didn't know how many folks might've been on that stage. I knew where the stage had been when I fired the shots, so I went there. I was the one who fired the shots to alert the others in the search party where to find us. And the stage. I panicked when I learned that you and the driver were half-frozen. I didn't know whether you would live or not. I didn't mean for this to happen. I swear it! Please believe me. And please forgive me."

Gretchen knelt by her father and took his hand. "Papa! Papa! I'm so sorry that it's because of me that you felt like you had to do such a thing. _I_ am the one who should take responsibility for all of this!"

Sam noticed that Ted was slowly moving toward Ilsa. Ilsa was still screaming, carrying on about Sam. "We can't let her go! We have to make her disappear! Can't any of you see that?"

Sam, in her peripheral vision, saw that Ted was getting closer to Ilsa. Sam tried to keep Ilsa from seeing Ted and deliberately kept Ilsa's focus on herself.

"Let's all just calm down. We can talk about this like adults and come up with a workable solution for this whole problem." Sam's hands began to shake, so she folded them in her lap.

"Stand up!" Ilsa commanded Sam.

" _Mama! No! Please_!" Gretchen wailed.

"Ilsa! Put the gun down!" Friedhelm said in an exhausted voice.

Ilsa pointed the gun steadily at Sam. She pulled the hammer back. Ted made a desperate dive in Ilsa's direction. Gretchen screamed.

Ilsa smiled a devilish smile and pulled the trigger.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam had arrived at the house and heard the scream and the gunshot. Leaping out of his saddle and bursting through the front door, he found Ilsa and Ted rolling around on the floor – Ted trying desperately to get the gun in Ilsa's hand. Ilsa kept screaming, over and over again, " _I'll kill you!_ "

In a split second, Adam's mind took in the rest of the scene. Friedhelm was half on and half off the sofa. Gretchen was lying across Sam on the floor, and there was blood in a pool beneath them on the carpet.

The gun went off again and Adam dove on top of Ted and Ilsa, finally wrestling the gun out of Ilsa's hands. Immediately she stopped fighting and sat limply in Ted's grasp. Sam and Gretchen were sitting up, blood on both of them.

"Which one of us is hurt?" Sam asked, trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind.

Gretchen ruefully said, "I think it's _me_." She promptly fainted.

As Sam bent over Gretchen, she directed Adam to check on Friedhelm. Adam reported to Sam that the man had a pulse but looked very pale.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Sam snapped. "He just saw his wife shoot his daughter! Looks like she got shot in her side, and the wound is bleeding a lot."

Ilsa was still in Ted's grasp but, from the vacant look in her eyes, she posed no threat to anyone. Her brain had left reality behind.

"Adam, find my medical bag. Ted, come over here." Sam was in control and Gretchen was coming out of her fainting spell.

Both men moved quickly. Friedhelm kept asking if his daughter was all right. At least he's talking and didn't die of fright, Sam thought.

Adam retrieved the medical bag; Ted was at Gretchen's side holding her hand. Sam cut away the bloody part of Gretchen's dress and breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a flesh wound – the bullet had taken a good bit of Gretchen's skin off but hadn't entered her body.

"Adam, would you get some towels and soak one in some cool water?" Sam asked. She felt a bit shaky and dizzy but was still in control.

"Your daughter is fine," Sam told Friedhelm. "It's just a flesh wound. Now lie still and be quiet. I can treat only one patient at a time and you won't be helping me if you get too excited."

"But, what about Ilsa?" the man feebly asked.

Sam looked at Ilsa. "She's in shock. She's okay for now."

Ted spoke in quiet tones to Gretchen. Adam came in with towels, handed them to Sam and then stood back as Sam began cleaning up Gretchen's wound. The cool compress stopped the bleeding fairly quickly. Putting a dry towel over the wound, Sam got shakily to her feet.

The door burst open and in came Ben, Hoss and Little Joe. They stood in shocked silence. Ben found his voice first.

"What happened?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Friedhelm had a heart attack, I think. Ilsa tried to shoot me. Gretchen threw herself on top of me to knock me out of the way and got shot in the process. Ted grabbed Ilsa and the gun went off again. Adam came in and helped Ted." Sam was trying hard to summarize everything. "Go hitch up the Werner's wagon. We need to get everybody out of here and into Doc's office. I can't even _think_ any more."

Feeling Adam's arms around her shoulders, knowing she had done all she could do and finally feeling safe, Sam slumped over in exhaustion. Ilsa still stared vacantly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fortunately, as the wagon left the Werner ranch, the skies had turned clear and the snow had stopped. Ted held Gretchen in his arms on one side of the wagon; Adam held a limp Ilsa at the back of the wagon; Sam sat by Friedhelm on the other side of the wagon. Hoss was the driver, and Ben and Little Joe led both Chubb and Sport by their reins. They stayed close to the wagon to hear Sam's explanation of what had happened from beginning to end. It was Ben who asked the final question. "Who wrote the notes to warn Sam to stay away?"

Friedhelm answered slowly. "I did. I was afraid of what Ilsa might do. I couldn't control her any more and I didn't want to go to the sheriff and admit what we both had done. She's always had to be watched closely – ever since her parents got killed years ago. I think she went a little crazy _then_. But she had always been kind of high-strung."

Sam thought, " _That's an understatement_."

Doc Martin swung open the door in a hurry. When he saw the group, all he could say was, " _Good Lord_!"


	16. Chapter 16

Safe in Doc Martin's office, Ted continued to hold Gretchen's hand – even when Doc examined her and pronounced that she would be sore but would be just fine. Other than being uncomfortable from the wagon ride into town, Friedhelm appeared to have passed a crisis. No signs of current heart problems. Ilsa was in her own little world, happy to either count her fingers or hum a German lullaby over and over.

Doc had sent Little Joe to the boarding house to ask Drucilla for help. Drucilla was out dining somewhere with Delmas, so Henrietta came and sat with Ilsa. Gretchen chose to stay in the office to be near her father. Ben told Sam that she would be staying at the Ponderosa for a while. She knew better than to argue with his tone of voice so she offered Ted her hotel room so he could be close if he were needed. Quickly, she ran to her room and gathered some clean clothes and then returned to the office. Ben fetched Roy Coffee and they conferred with Doc as to what to do. They needed to speak to Judge Rainey when he got back into town tomorrow. Plans had to be made as to how to handle this whole mess.

Adam leaned against a wall, arms crossed over his chest. As he guided Sam to the livery stable to saddle Fancy, he growled, "Just wait til you get home!"

Sam's answer? "You need to shave."

Adam scowled all the way back to the Ponderosa. He spoke not a word.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam didn't wait for Adam to help her dismount – she could tell by the scowl on his face and by his demeanor that he was angry. Ben, Hoss and Little Joe had been unusually quiet on the ride back to the Ponderosa; the tension had been thick and nobody wanted to say anything wrong. Sam had to smile when she saw the latter three scurry into the house after stabling their horses. Which left Adam and Sam alone. Discretion being the better part of valor, Sam quickly headed for the house after she had tended to Fancy.

Adam grabbed her arm in an iron grip. "We have to talk!" His face was dark with anger.

Sam knew better than to try to deal with Adam right now. Calmly she answered, "Adam, I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I'm upset. We can talk later. Right now, I want you to let go of my arm because you're hurting me."

Adam truly didn't realize how vise-like his grip was and he immediately released Sam's arm. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But we are going to discuss this whole situation after supper!"

Sam left Adam to finish unsaddling Sport and practically sprinted into the house. She found Hop Sing already serving a light supper – he hadn't known when the Cartwrights would return and didn't take the time to start from scratch to cook an entire meal. He smiled as Sam sat down at the table. But he could feel the tension in the room, so he hurried back to the safety of the kitchen. He could hear whatever conversation the dining room had to offer from where he sat.

"Sam," Ben began, "it's been a long and difficult day. There's a lot to talk about but we need to be calm."

Sam sighed with relief. At least Ben wasn't angry with her and, by looking at Hoss and Little Joe, she knew that they weren't angry either. Adam entered the dining room and yanked his chair out from the table, scraping its legs roughly across the floor.

" _Adam_!" Ben's voice was a warning.

"Sorry," was all Adam said as he sat down. He was more careful pulling himself closer to the table.

Ben controlled the conversation at the table as plates were filled. There was a lot to choose from – slices of ham and beef and pork, Hop Sing's signature potatoes and onions, left-over vegetables, and slices of bread. The coffee was hot.

"We need to go into town tomorrow to see Judge Rainey, but I'm not sure what time his stage arrives. Roy told me that Sam can press charges against the entire Werner family; he'll speak to Sam about that in the morning. Adam has the most knowledge of the warning notes that Friedhelm left, so Adam will definitely have to speak to the Judge. There are other things that Adam can attest to." Ben deliberately didn't mention the "pie" incident.

After eating a bit of pork and some potatoes, Sam realized that she was still hungry. She and Adam speared the same piece of roast beef at the same time. Sam wouldn't budge and neither would Adam. The two looked at each other intently – a battle of wills. Hoss, with the wisdom of Solomon, knew that neither would concede, so he reached out with his knife and cut the beef in half. Ben stifled a smile.

"What can Roy charge Gretchen with?" Little Joe asked, breaking the silence of the fight over the roast beef.

Ben answered. "From what he told me, it could be 'malicious destruction of property'."

"What about her parents?" Hoss asked.

"He's not sure. Friedhelm planned to scare the horses pulling the stagecoach into running. He didn't know that the stage would turn over and that people would be hurt. As for Ilsa, there could be a double charge of malicious mischief or attempted murder."

Sam was handling this calmly, but Adam's face was smoldering. He left the table and went outside. Sam watched Adam walk away and then added her thoughts. "Friedhelm tried to give written warnings. He was in a rough position – he didn't want to implicate his wife. He didn't know about the guitar and the mess at the hotel room until after the fact. Gretchen saved my life by taking a bullet that was meant for me. Ilsa, I'm afraid, needs psychological help. I'm not sure if she's had a nervous breakdown or if she's just in shock. At any rate, all Friedhelm and Ilsa were trying to do was to help their daughter. Their hearts were in the right place but their actions were misguided. I'm not sure what is the right thing to do about this. It bears some soul-searching, I guess."

Hop Sing appeared to tell Sam that her room was now ready for her. "Missie Doctor Sam always welcome in this house," he said, not even looking to Ben to be certain. "Her room always be ready. Any time."

Moved almost to tears by this vote of acceptance, Sam smiled at Hop Sing and then excused herself from the table. She put on her coat and went outside to face Adam.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam was leaning against the corral, his back to Sam as she approached him.

"Adam?" she said softly.

He spun around and faced her. And then he exploded. "I don't know whether to kiss you or spank you! What were you thinking when you got into that buggy with Gretchen? You were aware that there might be danger in going to the Werner house! They might have set a trap for you, murdered you, and then nobody would ever have found you! You're a smart lady who chose not to use your intelligence!"

"Adam," Sam began. "We didn't know for sure that anyone but Gretchen was involved. I'm a doctor – that's my job. Tell me that you've never looked into someone's face and known they were telling the truth – that's the same look I saw on Gretchen's face when she told me about her father. Doc Martin wasn't there. I had to go."

Adam thought back to when Ted was in jail. Both he and the sheriff had looked into Ted's face and just knew he was telling the truth. In his mind, he grudgingly conceded that Sam was right.

"And what are you gonna do now as far as pressing charges against the Werners?" Adam's voice was gruff.

"I don't know yet," Sam answered, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "I need time to think."

Adam exploded again. "Ilsa tried to kill you, for God's sake! And look what Friedhelm did!" Grabbing Sam by both arms, Adam finished his thoughts. "Don't you know how frantic I was? How my heart dropped when I heard that gunshot? When I saw the blood on the carpet and thought you were dead? I lost you once. I can't go through that again!"

Adam's heart and mind were flooded with emotions and he, for once, stepped out of character. Pulling Sam to him, he kissed her – hard. But it wasn't a pleasant kiss – it was almost ferocious and Sam felt fear. Adam seemed to have lost all control; his mouth against hers was painful. The harder Sam tried to push away from this man, the tighter he held her. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She had felt like that before when he kissed her, but it had been a good feeling. This was the opposite.

Shocked at himself, Adam released her and stepped back, breathing hard.

Sam spoke. "Adam, I can't stay on the Ponderosa any more. This running back and forth from here to the hotel and back here again has taken a toll on me. I need to look for a home of my own in town. Returning to San Francisco isn't an option. But I'll be leaving in the morning. Both the sheriff and Judge Rainey will want to speak with you and I need for you to be there to tell what you know and what you've seen. I know I can live without you in my life. I just don't want to. But you just attacked me, and I won't allow that."

Adam's voice cracked. "Well, it was easy for you to leave me once. I don't see why it wouldn't be easy for you to leave me again. Do what you have to do. I'll do my civic duty and be in town tomorrow."

Sam turned and walked toward the house, tears in her eyes. Too much had happened for her mind to be organized. She knew she loved Adam but his anger had changed him. He could've asked her to stay but he didn't. And, true to her word, she was gone in the morning.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam kicked himself mentally all night. _I could have handled the whole thing differently, but I had to go and lose my temper. I had been so afraid of losing Sam that I ended up pushing her away. I should have told her why I was so afraid for her. I should've told her what's really in my heart. She said she wanted me in her life and I said nothing. This time it's my fault that she's walking away. How can I make it up to her? Will she give me another chance?_

Adam was awake early, sitting in the kitchen with Hop Sing. And the cook had a few words of his own.

"You chase Missie Doctor Sam away!" Hop Sing scolded. "She love you, and you too blind to see! She good lady, and you turn her away! What wrong with you! She cry when she leave this morning! Why you hurt her and make her cry?"

"Because I'm a fool, Hop Sing," Adam said remorsefully. "But I'm going to try to make things right again. I've got my work cut out for me."

Adam was gone when the rest of the household arose. After a quick breakfast, the rest of the Cartwright family headed to town.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam had cried when she left the Ponderosa that morning. _I should've understood that Adam was angry because he had been afraid for me. Afraid of losing me. His anger just manifested itself in the form of relief. My medical training has taught me that. Now I've dug a hole for myself that's too deep to get out of. I should have let him vent his anger instead of opening my mouth and making it worse. The only positive thing I said was that I had wanted him in my life – and then I negated that by accusing him of attacking me. How stupid can I be? Adam would never hurt me on purpose!_

She tied Fancy in front of Doc's office. She'd have to go house-hunting sometime today.


	17. Chapter 17

Sam had a minor surprise waiting for her when she entered Doc's office. Ilsa was actually talking to Gretchen and Ted, and she was making sense! Well, kind of. Her words were appropriate but she spoke in a strange monotone with an expressionless face. Still, it was an improvement.

Doc was in the back room so Sam walked over to Gretchen. "Good morning, Gretchen," Sam said with a gentle smile. "Good morning, Ted. Good morning, Ilsa."

"Good morning, Doctor Sam," Gretchen and Ted said in unison.

"Well, good morning Ilsa," Sam said. "You look so much better today. How are you feeling?"

"Good morning," Ilsa answered in her monotone voice. "I feel better today."

"How wonderful!" Sam said with enthusiasm. "I'm so glad to hear that!"

Sam wanted to talk more to Ilsa but she also wanted to check on Friedhelm. She poked her head into the back office and found Doc with Gretchen's father. Doc turned and smiled and indicated that she should come in.

Friedhelm looked very well, indeed. Yesterday's pallor was replaced by his natural healthy complexion and he was sitting up as Doc was listening to his heart. He smiled at Sam and she smiled back.

Removing the stethoscope from his ears, Doc spoke. "My, aren't you an early-bird this morning? What do you think of this patient?"

Sam put the stethoscope in her ears and listened to Friedhelm's heart. She was delighted to hear the "lub-dub, lub-dub" of a regular rate and rhythm. His lungs sounded clear when she listened to them too.

"How do you feel?" Sam asked.

"Physically, I feel fine. Mentally, I'm feeling ashamed of what my family and I did to you. You saved my life, Doctor Sam. I'm beholdin' to you."

Sam looked into his eyes and spoke from the heart. "Sometimes we do things to help those we love and find out that our choices turn out badly. The lessons we learn from those experiences make us stronger. Then we just move forward."

Sam thought to herself, "I should pay attention to what I'm saying. I could learn some lessons of my own." Friedhelm buttoned his shirt and went to sit with Ilsa, Gretchen and Ted.

"Where's Henrietta?" Sam asked, realizing that one person was missing.

"She fed everybody and then left. She said to fetch her if we needed anything else. She was tired – she sat up talking with Gretchen and Ilsa all night long."

"Have you checked Gretchen's wound? I didn't want to bring it up in front of Ilsa. She seems better today and I didn't want to cause her to have a set-back." Sam asked.

"Gretchen is fine. Sore but in much better shape than I had originally thought." Then Doc added, " _You_ look terrible, if you want my opinion. Which you probably _don't_."

Sam sighed. "Adam was angry; I didn't handle things well, I'm afraid."

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror today?" Doc asked as he rooted around in a desk drawer and found a hairbrush. "Either use this or get a curry comb from the livery stable." With that, he went out to join the others.

Indeed, she had been in such a hurry to leave the Ponderosa before Adam awoke, she hadn't brushed her hair or washed her face. She had just put on clean clothes and thrown everything back into her valise. She looked in the mirror and realized that her thick hair was sticking out all over the place. There was a smudge of what looked like dirt on her forehead. And on her top lip was a tiny bruise. She remembered Adam's kiss and sighed. _Lordy, it's a wonder I didn't scare everybody to death when I walked in!_

When she walked into the outer office, she found the sheriff there, drinking a cup of coffee. The two exchanged pleasantries, and Sam poured a cup of coffee for herself. She had a feeling she would need it.

While Doc was talking to Gretchen and Ilsa, Roy whispered, "Judge Rainey will be in town soon. Where's Adam? We've got a lot to discuss."

"I don't know, Roy," Sam answered carefully. "I was in a hurry to get here and left before anyone else had gotten up. He knows he needs to be here, though, so I'm sure it won't be long before he shows up."

Roy nodded. "I think the best way to handle this is in private in my office. There's no need to have a public trial before we know what charges to make. And the folks around here don't need to know any more than Henrietta has probably told already."

Sam nodded. "What time do you think the Judge's stage will arrive?"

"I'm guessing somewhere within the next two hours."

Sam looked at the clock hanging on the wall and noted the time. "Can we speak to the Judge at around noon? I want to go house-hunting. I need a place of my own. Not a boarding house or a hotel room."

Roy looked surprised; he simply nodded. "Noon it is, then."

Waving goodbye with a cheerfulness she didn't feel, Sam left Doc's office, climbed up into Fancy's saddle and rode off.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Not long after Sam rode off, Adam appeared. He had circles under his eyes that indicated he hadn't slept well.

After greeting everyone in Doc's office, he asked, with an innocent look on his face, if Sam had been in yet.

"Been here and gone," Doc answered.

"Gone house-huntin'," Roy said with a curious look on his face.

Adam walked outside and noticed that a light snow was beginning to fall. Roy startled him when he spoke.

"Judge Rainey will be here soon. I told Sam that we needed to meet with Judge Rainey privately in my office before any decisions are made as to what to do with this mess of things. Sam asked if we could schedule the meeting for noon. Is that all right with you?"

"Yeah," Adam answered laconically. "Which way did she go when she left here?"

"I don't know, Adam. I wasn't watching."

Adam swung into his saddle. "I'll see you at noon." He rode away, leaving Roy wondering what was going on. He had assumed that Sam and Adam would marry. But now Sam was looking for a place to live…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam rode aimlessly through town, looking at the few houses that were for sale. There was one house close to the outskirts of town that showed promise, but most of them were so dilapidated that she'd have to pay twice the price to buy one house and fix it up too. She decided she just wasn't in the mood to look at houses and turned back toward Doc's office. She needed to speak at length with Ilsa before the meeting with Judge Rainey. She'd have to contend with her thoughts about Adam at a later time. The snow was falling heavier now anyway. So she took Fancy to the livery stable and walked to Doc's office.

At Sam's request, Doc let Sam use his back room to have a talk with Ilsa. Gretchen and her father and Ted often heard sounds of weeping; Gretchen wept also. There was more weeping when Sam left. Roy went to check on the estimated time of arrival of Judge Rainey's stage. Adam continued looking for Sam and decided that she had gone in another direction. He'd find out at noon.

As noon approached, he began to worry. He stood outside and could hear Roy talking – he assumed, correctly, that Roy was talking about the situation at hand. Ben and Adam's brothers had arrived, had spoken to the already-seated Judge Rainey and had been dismissed. The Judge had advised that the only Cartwright testimony needed would be Adam's. So Ben, Hoss and Little Joe walked down the street to the saloon – a drink would be welcome. Finally Doc and Sam appeared, heads bowed slightly into the wind that had begun to blow.

Doc nodded at Adam and entered the sheriff's office, leaving Sam and Adam alone. Hazel eyes met green eyes, each searching for an answer or maybe a glimmer of hope. Adam saw the tiny bruise on Sam's lip and touched it lightly with his fingertip. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Judge Rainey's booming voice for the proceedings to start. Sam opened her mouth, changed her mind, and went into the sheriff's office. Adam followed.

Judge Rainey started from the very beginning, all the way back to when Adam had suffered amnesia and had first met "Dr. Nielsen." Adam, Doc, and Sam were excellent at recapping that story, both Sam and Adam wisely omitting any personal feelings between them. Adam was equally succinct in telling about his relationship with Gretchen. Both Adam and Sam were questioned as to why Gretchen had been sent to Denver. Adam was forced to tell the Judge about Gretchen's miscarriage.

"Were you the father of that baby?" Judge Rainey asked.

"I don't know. It's possible," Adam answered. He was careful to answer truthfully and yet not smear Gretchen's name any more than was necessary.

An hour passed, and finally Judge Rainey had all the background information he needed. He spoke. "Legally, Miss Gretchen Werner is guilty of malicious destruction of property – one guitar and one dress. She is guilty of the theft of one hotel room key. She is guilty of entering a room without permission. She may have trashed the entire room but didn't destroy anything, so we can dismiss that part.

"As for Mr. Friedhelm Werner, I find him guilty of premeditating a plan which involved the possibility of death of passengers riding in public transportation. He is guilty as to obstruction of justice by not telling what he did. The writing of warning notes is against the law and falls under the rather vague heading of 'scare tactics'. He may have meant well, but he had ample opportunity to talk to Doctors Martin and Nielsen and to warn them in person by confessing what his wife had done."

"As for Mrs. Friedhelm Werner – Ilsa – I find her guilty of malicious mischief by putting a dead mouse in a pie. I find her guilty of obstructing justice, the same as the charge against her husband. I find her guilty of aiding and abetting a theft when she distracted the desk clerk so that her daughter could steal a hotel key. I find her guilty of attempted murder. The fact that she ended up shooting her own daughter doesn't negate the fact that she was aiming for Dr. Nielsen."

"Now, Doctor Nielsen, it's time for you to press charges."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam stood up and looked Judge Rainey in the eye. "I'm not pressing any charges."

Judge Rainey looked at her and gaped. "Doctor Nielsen, are you aware of the gravity of most of these charges?"

"I am."

"And you choose to not press charges?"

"That's correct."

"Would you please tell me why you are not pressing charges?"

"Your Honor, Gretchen was in love with Adam Cartwright – or she thought she was. She felt threatened by my presence here and became obsessively jealous. After her trip to Denver and the unfortunate loss of her child, I believe that she suffered from a disorder of the brain that caused her to act the way she did. This disorder is known as 'mania' and differs from 'insanity'. One day, medicine will be able to more define this state of mind. All she wanted to do was to scare me away. But I've been told that I'm hard-headed and stubborn (here she glanced quickly at Adam and saw his lips turn up into a grin) and I don't scare easily. A guitar can be replaced and so can a dress. And so can a simple hotel-room key."

"As for Mr. and Mrs. Werner, what they did was wrong. But parents love their children unconditionally. If they see their child suffering, they do what they can to ease that suffering. Mr. Werner, like his daughter, only wanted to scare me away. He wasn't trying to kill me. He told me himself that the gunshots were to scare the horses into running. His hands were cold; some shots hit the stage by mistake. He had no idea that the stage would turn over. His feelings of guilt caused a great deal of stress on his heart. His allegiance to his wife and daughter stopped him from telling Sheriff Coffee. Yes, he knew that Mrs. Werner put the mouse in the pie but he kept his mouth shut. So he resorted to written warnings – not out of malice but to try to get my attention and make me leave so I'd be safe."

"As for Mrs. Werner, I think she has suffered from mental problems for a long time. I think she is still suffering from mental problems. Helping to steal the room key is a minor point. On the day that her husband had the heart problem, she expected to see Doctor Martin. But I showed up instead. And I'm the one who caused her daughter so much suffering. Would she have killed me? I don't know. But she was not in her right mind at the time. The Werners are well-liked and well-respected citizens of Virginia City. Pressing charges against them is not what I intend to do."

Judge Rainey rubbed his jaw and thought. "What about this young man named Ted? And what about Delmas with his broken leg?"

"I can't speak for them. But I'll tell you this. Ted is in love with Gretchen – though she doesn't know it. When he found out what was going on, she swore him to secrecy. But he kept an eye on me to make sure I was safe. As for Delmas, his leg is healing quickly and he doesn't even know that Friedhelm was the cause of the stage accident. Delmas is a kind man with a forgiving nature."

"You're giving me a headache," the Judge sighed, holding his head in his hands.

"I'm sure there are others who would admit that I may have that effect on them," Sam said evenly. She heard a chuckle and recognized it as being Adam's.

"I don't know what to do with this case," the Judge sighed again. "There should be some kind of sanctions imposed against these people."

"May I make a suggestion?" Sam asked.

The Judge didn't answer. He just nodded.

"Gretchen has a wonderful eye for decorating. When I find a place to live, I'd like to have her help me with the décor. For _free_. Gretchen's mother needs mental help. I can send a wire to Denver or to San Francisco and see if I can get a specialist to come to Virginia City to help her. To take her away from her family at this point might push her over the edge into complete insanity. If you can write a Court Order to have this done, then I'll send a wire immediately. As for Mr. Werner, his health is as fragile as his wife's mind is. More stress would be an endangerment. I ask only that you let him return to his home with his family where he can recuperate more easily without stress."

" _So ordered_ ," roared the Judge. "Somebody go inform the Werner family and then let's go get a drink. I need one badly."

Adam stopped Sam as she walked out the door. Touching her arm gently, he smiled. "I'm so proud of you." He touched the tiny bruise on her lip. "And I'm so sorry for _this_."

She snorted at him. "You need to shave. I watched your beard grow two inches while Judge Rainey was holding court." And then she smiled and raced to catch up with Doc. They needed to tell the Werner family the news.


	18. Chapter 18

Sam made Doc stop at the telegraph office so she could send wires to San Francisco and to Denver. Then they went to Doc's office. The Werners and Ted had been waiting for over two and a half hours. Ilsa was weeping again. And, when she was told the news, she wept even more. Gretchen threw her arms around Sam and promised that Sam would have the most beautiful house in all of Virginia City. Friedhelm, with watery eyes, took Sam's hand and said, simply, "Thank you, Doctor Sam."

"Can we go home now?" Gretchen asked.

"I need to keep your ma and pa here to make sure that they're all right," Doc answered. "Besides, it's snowing harder outside and none of you needs to be going out in this weather."

It was agreed that Friedhelm and Ilsa would stay at Doc's. Gretchen would take Ted's room (which was originally Sam's room), and Ted would find a place at the boarding house, even if he had to share a room with Delmas. It was a foregone conclusion that Sam would go back to the Ponderosa, but Sam knew that wasn't an option. She had foolishly closed the door.

With a bright voice, Sam announced that she was going to check on Fancy and that she'd be back tomorrow. _I'll figure out something after I leave the stable._

The wind had begun to howl and the snow was falling in big fat flakes as Sam made her way to the livery stable. Jess had already cleaned the stalls and added extra hay on the floor of each one. Sam stroked Fancy and spoke softly to her. And then Sam realized that she was bordering on the effects of exhaustion.

Adam sat in the saloon with his family, Roy and Judge Rainey. "That's the damndest woman I've _ever_ seen!" the Judge proclaimed. He ordered another whiskey.

Ben looked out at the falling snow. "I think we'd better head home before this storm gets worse. You coming with us, Adam?"

"Not right now. I have something important to do."

Ben wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what Adam was referring to. "Stay in town if the weather gets worse." He patted his eldest son on the shoulder and then left with Hoss and Little Joe.

Adam waited until they had left and headed straight to Doc's office. Ilsa and Friedhelm had fallen asleep; Gretchen and Ted were involved in an animated conversation.

"Where's Sam?" Adam asked Doc, noting there was a little bit of whiskey sitting on Doc's desk.

"Gone to check on Fancy," Doc answered. "Sam really made an impression on a lot of people today."

"Yes, she did," Adam answered. He left the office and led Sport to the livery stable.

At first he didn't see Sam and was bitterly disappointed. Jess said that Sam had been there but he didn't know where she'd gone. Adam worried.

Stopping by to give Fancy a handful of sweet feed, Adam saw a figure behind the mare and realized that it was Sam. She had fallen asleep in the hay.

"Jess? You got an extra blanket or two?" Adam called. "I want to cover Fancy up so she'll stay good and warm."

"Yep," Jess answered.

Adam stepped out of the stall, took the blankets and, when Jess had walked back to his cubbyhole, Adam sat down in the hay next to Sam.

She opened her sleepy eyes. "Is it tomorrow yet?"

"It will be soon. Just close your eyes." Adam stretched out and put the blankets over both of them. Then he put an arm around Sam and drew her to his chest. She snuggled against him.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" she asked, her eyes closed.

"Yes, love. I'll be right here."

Adam sat without moving for a long time. When his muscles started to ache, he moved slightly and rearranged the blankets. The hay was warm, Sam slept in his arms, and his heart was full. And soon, he fell asleep.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam opened her eyes and stared straight into bare wood. Still half-asleep, she tried to figure out what all this hay was doing under her head. And there were horse's legs, which she correctly identified as those belonging to Fancy. But what was that weight across her shoulders? As her eyes focused, she realized that the weight was due to a hairy arm. _Oh, Good Lord! What have I done?_ Her memory returned in a flash and she lay still, thinking about yesterday's events. The last thing she remembered was sitting down in Fancy's stall – she must've fallen asleep. She was on her right side in a semi-fetal position and she couldn't turn over – something was in her way. So she turned her head slowly to the left and was surprised to be looking into Adam's hazel eyes.

"'Morning', girl," he said with that lop-sided grin that she loved so much.

"Adam?"

"That would be me," came the answer.

Sam struggled to sit up and discovered that there was a weight across her legs also. Adam, in his sleep, had thrown one leg over hers. And his hand was dangerously close to one of her breasts. She wriggled frantically until she heard an "oomph" and Adam stopped her thrashing.

"Careful, girl! Or my voice will be three octaves higher!"

Sam couldn't help but giggle. Adam moved around until he no longer was touching her. They both propped up on one elbow and looked at each other without speaking. Finally, Sam broke the silence. "Why are you here?"

"I looked for you, and Doc said you had gone to check on Fancy. I found you here, sound asleep. I didn't have the heart to wake you right then and take you to the hotel. It was snowing too hard to go home. So I sat with you and I guess I fell asleep too." He touched one of her errant curls and twirled it in his fingers.

"We just… _slep_ t?"

"Yep. I didn't put you in any compromising situation, if that's what you're thinking. Though the thought _did_ occur to me," Adam said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"And where did the blankets come from?" Sam asked, seeing that there were, indeed, two blankets.

"From Jess."

" _Oh, Good God Almighty_!" Sam sputtered. "The whole town will be talking today. What a wonderful topic of conversation we must be!"

Adam laughed, a full rich laugh. "Jess didn't know you were here. I told him that I needed blankets to cover Fancy with."

"We need to get up and get out of here," Sam said.

"Yeah," came the answer.

Neither one moved. And Adam kissed Sam then, the very lightest of kisses. He had bruised her lip once and was careful to not hurt her again. He drew away and then leaned forward to kiss her freckled nose and her still-sleepy eyes. Sam hesitated but only for a second. Her response to this tenderness was quick. And then they were locked in the sweetest of embraces, their arms around each other, their bodies pressed together. Their kisses were passionate and probing. Sam felt the physical response in Adam and she shivered with hunger for him. She guided his hand under her coat and felt the heat everywhere he touched.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The magic that was happening between them was abruptly ended when the barn door banged and Jess's off-key whistling could be heard.

Quickly, Sam jerked away, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Adam's breathing was equally as labored. They both stood up, and Adam began folding a blanket slowly, letting it hang in front of him as long as he could. Sam threw another blanket over his shoulder – she wasn't stupid.

Fancy whinnied and Sam's response was, "Oh, Fancy. _Shut up_!"

"'Morning', folks," Jess called out happily. "Snow's stopped and it's a beautiful day. I need to clean the stalls in a minute. Maybe y'all should get some breakfast."

Sam couldn't eat now if she had to. "Uh, Jess? Did you mention to anyone that I slept in the barn?"

Jess grinned and there was a twinkle in his eyes. "I ain't seen nothin', Doctor Sam."

Sam looked at Adam. He just grinned as he folded the second blanket.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Oh, go _shave_!"

"You…uh…need to change clothes, Sam," Adam laughed. "Your valise is still here – he pointed to a corner of the stall. Put on something to ride in, and I'll meet you at Doc's office." He knew that would be the first stop that Sam would make.

"I have to go by the telegraph office first and see if there's an answer to my messages I wired yesterday."

"You expecting a wire from Robert?" Adam tried to act nonchalant.

"Robert? Why would I wire _him_? He's a General Practitioner." Sam couldn't read the look in Adam's eyes or the look on his face. "I wired Dr. Osborne and Dr. Morgan."

Adam's face relaxed. "Oh," was all he said. Then, "I'll bet Jess will let you use his office to wash up and change clothes. Saddle Fancy. I'll meet you at Doc's in half an hour." And he was gone.


	19. Chapter 19

Sam smiled happily. There were two wires for her. Dr. Montrose had passed the wire to a man he trusted. Though Dr. Osborne stated that he would be unable to come to Virginia City, Dr. Morgan said he would be delighted and would be arriving in two days on the evening stage.

Sam sprinted to Doc Martin's office, finding Adam already there, leaning back in his chair and sipping a cup of coffee. Sam grabbed an empty cup and poured a cupful for herself.

"Where is everybody?" Sam asked, looking around.

"Gretchen and Ted took the Werners to breakfast at the café," Doc answered.

"How is Ilsa? Has she improved any more?" Sam was worried about the woman.

"Not much change, I'm afraid. She speaks in that same monotone and her affect is still flat." **Author's note: A "flat affect" is the medical term for a person who has no facial expression at all.**

"Well," Sam said, after she had sipped some coffee, "Dr. Stuart Morgan will be arriving in two days on the evening stage. He knows the basic story and is eager to be of help. He understands that Ilsa is just too fragile to travel. He's a good man and a good physician. This won't be cheap for the Werners, but it'll be worth it." She changed the subject. "How is Friedhelm?"

"Still a little weak, but all his vital signs are in the normal range. But he needs to lead a stress-free life if he wants to continue to improve."

Sam nodded. "And Gretchen? How is she?"

"Still sore and healing quicker than I had thought. But I think Ted is a welcome distraction. There seems to be something going on between the two. It's obvious that Ted loves her, and she's warming up to his kindness and understanding and attention."

Sam sighed with relief. "Okay, now I can go on with my day. I still have house-hunting to do."

She looked at Adam and saw his face turn to stone. _She doesn't want me. This morning was just a bad twist of Fate. I've lost her._

"Adam, you said we could go for a ride. I assumed that you meant you would go look at houses with me and give me some good advice." Sam was genuinely puzzled by the change in Adam's demeanor.

"Of course," Adam said. "I'll be glad to help you." _I'm a liar, but the least I can do is to give good advice if she wants to leave me._

Meanwhile, Sam was thinking. _He's willing to let me go. I had hoped that, after this morning, he would know how I felt. I was wrong._

Doc watched as the two walked away. He shook his head sadly. "What a waste of genuine love."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adam took Sam to all the places that he knew were up for sale – and there weren't that many. But Sam took a tour through each house, finding fault with some and being discouraged by Adam's advice on others. But Sam remembered one house that had possibilities and she wanted to go there and look at it again. The street was a quiet one, and the house _did_ have possibilities. It was larger than what Sam was looking for, and it needed some work done. But there would be no major renovations at least. Sam looked at Adam. "What do you think?"

There was a twitch around Adam's lips but Sam couldn't figure out what was so amusing.

Sam spoke. "This area is quiet. The house needs only a little fixing-up. It may be larger than I need, but maybe I can use the extra space for something."

"Have you wondered why it's so quiet?" Adam asked, his lips still twitching.

"Maybe the neighbors sleep late? Maybe they're older folks who don't make a lot of noise? There aren't many houses on this street. That's a good thing, isn't it?"

Adam chuckled. "This area gets noisy at night. The neighbors are busier at that time. And, if you live here, you'll have to change your profession."

The dawn of realization hit Sam. "You don't mean… This isn't… _Oh, Lord_!" Sam blushed to the roots of her hairline. "Adam! I might have bought this house!"

Adam laughed and put his arm around Sam's shoulders. "There would have been plenty of men callers. But not the kind you expected."

Sam sprinted out of the house and Adam was hard-pressed to catch up with her. To his credit, he really tried to smother his laughter.

Sam's shoulders sagged. "I've got to find a place to live! I can't keep bouncing around from Doc's office to the hotel to the Ponderosa to a stall in a livery stable. What am I gonna do, Adam?"

Adam had one more idea. "Come with me," he said as he turned Sport in another direction. "I have something to show you."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Oh, stop laughing!" Sam scolded as she and Adam rode out of town. "It's not that funny!"

"Yes, ma'am. No, ma'am," Adam answered, but he continued to chuckle.

The day couldn't have been more perfect weather-wise if Adam had put in an order for it. The sky was absolutely cloudless; the storm from yesterday had covered the ground with fresh white snow, several inches deep; there was no ice to slip on; and the sun was bright and reflective off icicles hanging from tree limbs. It looked like a thousand diamonds were surrounding him and Sam. Every now and then, a bird would sing or a rabbit would hop by. There was a kind of hush on the land – a silence broken only by the sound of hooves crunching in the snow. Adam looked at Sam and was happy that her face was completely serene. She had rosy cheeks and a gentle smile on her face. His thoughts turned not toward this morning's almost-romp in the hay but toward how he had felt last night when he sat in Fancy's stall in the hay and had held Sam as she slept. How full his heart had been then! He couldn't imagine life without her. _Please let my plan work!_

Because of the snow that had piled up, landmarks were hard to distinguish. But Sam wasn't afraid because she knew that Adam could find his way anywhere. Adam. So strong. So smart. So thoughtful. _I love him and he doesn't know._

Adam reined in Sport outside of a stand of tall Ponderosa pines, dismounted, and tied his horse securely to a fat tree limb. He helped Sam dismount and tied Fancy close to Sport. "We can go the rest of the way on foot," he said as he took Sam's hand to guide her through a large snowdrift.

"Adam, this house is pretty far out of town. I don't know if I'm gonna like that or not."

"Just wait til you see it," came the answer. "If you don't like it, I'll understand." _Please like it!_

The thick trees had provided protection from most of the snow, so the walking was much easier. They reached the spot quickly. "There," Adam said proudly. "What do you think?"

Sam looked. She saw a huge clearing with freshly-fallen snow. But there was no house. _Adam's gone crazy. The stress has affected his mind and he is completely insane!_

"Adam" Sam said gently, "this is a beautiful place but there is _no_ house here."

"Sure there is," Adam grinned. "Can't you see it?"

"No," Sam answered sadly.

"You're not looking," Adam said with a smile. "There's a two-story house there, made completely out of strong Ponderosa pine. You're looking at the front of the house – see the big porch and the rocking chairs? On the left side of the house is the kitchen with a pump to bring water right into the sink. On the right is a big room with a huge fireplace made of stone. There are plenty of windows so the sun can shine in all day. Can't you see it?"

And somehow Sam _could_ see it. In her mind's eye she could see it as though she were looking at a painting.

"Of course, there's a room to the right that can be used as a sort of office," she said, dreamily. "And upstairs are three, maybe four, bedrooms with lots of windows. And another fireplace. And there's a barn off to the side with a corral. And in back of the house there's a dining room with windows that look out toward the Sierra Nevadas. What a beautiful house!"

Sam looked at Adam with dreamy eyes. "It's a beautiful house. Wonder why nobody has bought it yet?"

"Because it's been waiting just for _you,_ " Adam said softly. "Look around. Does this land, this view, ring a bell with you?"

Sam snapped out of her dream-state, and the house was gone. She looked around and somewhere a past memory began to stir. The iced-over creek was familiar; the hundreds of trees that surrounded the clearing were familiar; the view of the Sierra Nevadas was familiar. And suddenly she remembered. "Adam! This is your land that your father gave you! This is where you planned to build your house! Do you mean you'd sell it to me?"

"Don't be obtuse, Sam," Adam scolded mildly. "I would never _sell_ this land. But I would _share_ it with _you_."

"Share it?" Sam echoed.

Adam chuckled at the shocked look on Sam's face. "I'm not going about this the right way, am I?" Turning Sam's face to his, his voice became serious. "I'm going to build a house right where I showed you and it will be just like I described. And like you described. But I want it to be more than just a house. I want it to be a home, filled with the aroma of bread baking and food cooking. And I want it to be filled with the sound of laughter. I want to hear the sounds of children playing. I want to see bars of lavender soap in every bedroom."

Sam gaped. She thought she knew what Adam was getting at. _Please let me be right!_ She stood still.

"I want to share all of this with you, Samantha Nielsen. I want to marry you. I want to share my name with you. I want to sleep next to you at night and wake up with you beside me in the morning. I want to work during the day and come home and find you waiting for me. I want to stand beside you when our children are born. I want to watch our children grow. And, when we get old, I want to sit on the front porch with you and rock in the rocking chairs. I want to hold you and protect you and take care of you for the rest of my life. I offer you all that is me and mine, the good and the bad."

Tears streamed down Sam's cheeks as she pulled away from Adam and walked into the snow in the clearing. Adam walked slowly behind her, his heart pounding. When he reached her, she turned around. "There's something else I need to hear," she said simply.

Adam had to laugh at himself. With all his flowery words, he had forgotten the most important words of all. Taking her hands in his, he softly uttered the magic words that he had left out. "Samantha, I love you. More than you can ever know. And I want you to be my wife. Will you?"

"I knew I loved you before I met you. I think I dreamed you into life," Sam said as she touched the dark stubble on Adam's face. "The things you want are the same things that I want. God, how I love you!"

Their arms went around each other and their kisses were sweet and tender. And, when Sam pulled slightly away, she could see that Adam's cheeks were wet with his own tears. She wiped them away and smiled as he kissed her on her wrinkled little nose. Suddenly, his lop-sided grin appeared. "Can I take that as a 'yes'?"

"Adam Cartwright, you're absolutely _incorrigible_!" She stooped to pick up a handful of snow and threw it at him. "That was _definitely_ a ' _yes_ '!"

Adam grabbed her and lifted her high into the air, spinning around and around, his face was joyous. He lost his balance and they both tumbled into the cushioning snow. They were two children playing and their laughter rang through the trees.

"Let's go tell your family!" Sam finally said, wiping as much snow from her coat as she could.

"Wonder what they'll say?" Adam thought aloud.

The answer, when they reached the house, was the sound of three – no, make that four, because Hop Sing was included – happy shouts of, " _It's about time_ _!_ "


End file.
